Bleed Cubbie Blue

Dagnabbit

Today’s game overlaps with Champions League semifinal leg 1 Manchester United-Arsenal. Got too much money riding on that stupid soccer game. Can’t decide… brain aneurysm!

You called it soccer instead of football

so obviously your priorities lie with the Cubs.

In grad school

I learned I was obligated to write with my audience in mind. Thusly, soccer is appropriate here.

But yeah, I’ll have Pat&Ron and mute the espn360 feed on the ’puter.

Will Chad Gaudin be the new Scott Eyre?

I’m expecting Lee and Bradley to tear Doug Davis apart today.

once again Gaudin is proving the value of our pitching coach: zilch.

how often do guys come here and get in a funk and Larry can’t help them. These guys leave and “find themselves.” If you say it is because they get in Lou’s doghouse, then we need a pitching coach who can get them out of the doghouse, both mentally and physically.

LAcarl519 - April 29, 2009 reply

But part of it

is finding the right guy to work with. For instance Rich Harden has really flourished with Lou and Larry. As have several other young pitchers. I don’t doubt that guys like Eyre and Gaudin can be good pitchers, but if they don’t fit with your coaching philosophy then they haven’t found the right place yet. Also LOSI..

I agree. Heilmen seems to be the same situation.

cubswynn - April 29, 2009 reply

I doubt Gaudin can keep this up.

We may find out on May 14 — if their rotation holds, he’ll start at Wrigley Field that day for SD.

I'm hesitant to pin Gaudin's failure on Rothschild.

I’d file this under “change of scenery” success. Maybe Chad really wanted to be a starter – most pitchers do, I believe – and he’s just going all out to prove himself. We’ll see if it lasts.

Craig in South Bend - April 29, 2009 reply

It's just one game

let's not go overboard

it’s one start.

His performance...

really does make waiving him look even more ridiculous.

Damen Jackson - April 29, 2009 reply

LOSI

if he’s really pitching every five days, let’s see how he’s doing in a month.

I think everyone agrees about the sample size, but

is Gaudin’s sample size any different than Vizcaino’s? And we made a decision on him already.

There is a pattern that has already developed under Lou of throwing away talent for nothing just because he doesn’t like the player. It adds up, whether Gaudin is a part of that equation or not.

a lot of people

weren’t impressed with the decision to DFA Viz, either.

Headline: Keep Yesterday's Momentum Going

Caption: Lou shows Kosuke how to whistle his favorite song.

adam316 - April 29, 2009 reply

Photo caption:

How do you say “keep cloggin ’em” in Japanese, son?

Hai Fuki-san,

Wax on, wax off.

JFCubFan - April 29, 2009 reply

Milton is going to have himself a day

I can feel it.

I don't know who's available out there to play 3rd, Al.

We may have to wait and sit on this one, just like the Yankees are doing with A-Rod. Looks like the team is missing the versatility of De Rosa sooner than everyone thought.

How's this for irony

A-Rod is now the savior for the Yankees fans and their season. Funny how that works, you lose your best player and you aren’t as good.

Are

you saying you think DeRosa was the cubs best player?

tizzle - April 29, 2009 reply

I think he means

Aramis

as of right now Soriano is our best hitter

I agree

But Ramirez has proven to be far more consistent. When Sori is hot there are not many better hitters and his defense is pretty solid as well. but Sori can cool off quickly. Ramirez has been a rock for a long time and has several good years ahead.

Agreed...

Soriano is what he is. He’s had plenty of stretches like this as a Cub. they’re just usually in later months. He’ll have his peaks and valleys. In the end, he’ll be an .850-.900 OPS guy with 30+ HR power and probably a mediocre/decent OBP. Ramirez has historically been the better hitter of the two.

The only thing that is different this year

is that he is showing a lot of patience and has a much higher OBP then in the past. I hope that he can keep that up. A good eye will probably help with the streakiness. But i love his character and attitude on the field. I hope that he can get to the consistent level that Ramirez has achieved.

Agreed...

it’s nice to see him taking pitches. He’s still susceptible to the low-and-away slider, but he’s showing better patience. that’s always a good thing.

Thats

what I thought, I just wasnt totally sure.

tizzle - April 29, 2009 reply

I mean A-Rod was hated in NY

Now they lost him for a month and understand just like when we lost Soriano last year.

DeRosa and ONEDEC

both were able to move around.

Cubbie-Tim - April 29, 2009 reply

Freel and Catalanotto

are both available. I don’t think the Big Cat could handle 3B at this point, but if he thinks he can, he’d be worth a minor league flier to see if it’s worth bringing him up.

Paul Sullivan says the Cubs will likely call up Bobby Scales.

Catalanotto might be worth a minor league deal.

Scales makes the most sense...

he can back up at 2B and 3B, and it’d be a nice career honor for him to get a cup of coffee. And he’s not a complete joke at the plate.

Hey Tim

Do you have a recipe for this? Do you know of places in Chicago where I can get some?

Golden Nugget Pancake House

has chicken-fried steak on the menu. It’s been years since I’ve had it though, so I couldn’t tell you if it’s any good. Plus my experience with it at the Nugg predates my current life as a Houstonian.

false cognate - April 29, 2009 reply

"no dome, it's...

“five”…THEN “five dollar”…..THENNNNN “five dollar foot looooong…”

12to23to17 - April 29, 2009 reply

Lineup per Sullivan

Soriano LF
Theriot SS
Bradley RF
Lee 1B
Johnson CF
Soto C
Miles 2B
Fontenot 3B
Dempster 1

I really wish

Dome was playing. That would push bradley and Lee down one.

+1

And I’d give Hill another start today too. But what do I know…

I thought about that

didn’t the Muskrat say they were giving Soto time to get out of his funk?

I guess one game is all he needs

mmm-hmmm.

Lou was quoted last night saying

he was gonna gi ve him a few days off. But I guess he changed his mind.

Madison Cub Fan - April 29, 2009 reply

Dome

I actually like giving him a day off

I do wish that they’d move one lefty up. I realize its a lefty starter but having one lefty early in the game to keep him from getting overly comfortable would be good.

dmlichte - April 29, 2009 reply

Giving two of our hottest three the day off...

… bold decision.

You know what? I'm just sayin' it -

That’s a pretty damn good line up.

Go us.

Edgewood - April 29, 2009 reply

What we fear would happen to our 3b position did

Aramis is unable to stay healthy and as a result we have no viable option as backup. At least with DeRosa you could move him over to 3B and have Fontenot at 2b. now we have Fontenot at 3b who isn’t that good and a mediocre bat in Miles at 2b.

Are there any options?? who plays 3b at Iowa?

The two in house options

That i know of are Koyie hill as back up 3rd baseman. And Bobby Scales a career minor leaguer who is currently at Iowa. I’m not sure who is available on the wire right now

have they thought about Fox at 3b?

Yes

If only Jake Fox could play third base. But he can’t.
Al Yellon

Maicer Izturis would be a good option

but what would we use to get him?

FOX

send him to AL where he can play his natural position.

Fox-Izturis swap?

You'd probably need more than Fox to pry away Izturis

The Angels don't let any of their homegrown guys go in trades

unless you have Mark Teixeira.

Fox isn't exciting to the Angels...

who have too many OF/1B/DH options to begin with. They are more in need of pitching.

Thats

unfortunate, as he is probably our best bargaining chip…can we interest them in an ineffective left handed short reliever?

Unfortunately, DH guys aren't big prospects...

See Jack Cust, for example. Or Micah Hoffpauir, to a lesser degree.

The one thing about the Angels

is that Kendry Morales is proving PECOTA right and maybe they would be willing to take a 1B if they believed in the guy.

The best part about getting Izturis

is that when he’s done playing 3B, he can shift over and upgrade SS in a platoon role.

Or try and get Figgins...

He’s a FA at the end of the year and Angels may be willing to part? Just a thought. That guy can play 2nd, 3rd, OF.

Fishbone2 - April 29, 2009 reply

Ive seen it said

that fox’s defense was improving. but only from non-existent to terrible. Also they have made no move to try him at third in Iowa (Josh has said this a few times).

So the question is if

Koyie Hill is a servicable option at third…is there a servicable backup catcher in the minor’s. Is Wellington ready for that backup role.

I personally don’t think that Koyie is a viable backup option at third nor do I want a rookie/minor leagurer handling our pitching staff but if there are no other options than this is a route that the team could consider.

TheRiot Police - April 29, 2009 reply

I'm having a hard time...

…wrapping my head around this “Koyie Hill at third base” thing. How much range could a backup catcher possibly have? Unsurprisingly, Fontenot’s been far from perfect, but at least he can cover some ground.

At first glance, I’d say that, if Aramis is DL’d, bring up Bobby Scales if he can play strong defense. Otherwise, leave LBR at third and maybe bring up Fox to get some pinch hit appearances.

I only really mentioned him

because it had come up when half the team was injured that he was the emergency backup at 3rd base.

Also he seems to be much lighter and quicker on his feet than Soto he even thought about stealing last night, but was also nearly picked off on the same play…

Well

I would rather try to wrap that around my head then having one of your top pitchers taking grounders. I would think that Hill at third is an emergency only option if no other viable roster moves exists.

The article that I read earlier in the week indicate that he played infield in college and for the USA Baseball several years ago. However, they did say that his hand accident of several years ago could affect his ability to throw from third…

TheRiot Police - April 29, 2009 reply

I don't think Lou...

…was ever seriously considering putting Zambrano at third. That was a “one game worst case scenario” thing. Bobby Scales, as mentioned, can be brought up. Or Lou could even just leave Fontenot at third and use Miles at second.

I know about Miles' contract but,

would it be easier to find a more serviceable 2nd baseman to replace Miles, than to find a serviceable third baseman so that Fontenot could move back to 2nd

Catalanotto is one option on the wire

He hasn’t played third in a while, but the Cubs could look into it. He can play the corner OF spots and 1B, too.

Freel would be another player to look into, as was discussed in a FanShot.

Catalanotto hasn't played 3B since 2001.

And he has only 35 career games there. On second thought (see my post above), I’ll pass.

I would worry that after 8 years he may not be cut out for it.

Though if he’s willing to take a minor league contract to show that he can play third, I would be ok with that signing.

"Unable to stay healthy" is a bit misleading.

He’s had one unfortuante injury in this very early season, at a time where they were just piling up for us.

well its typical that Ramirez doesn't play the entire season, he usually gets top 140s lower 150s

but we had viable options to replace him, now we don’t have any player of that sort

Yeah I know.

But there are worse options than Fonty. He can hit at least. Just gotta hope Rami comes back and stays healthy is all.

Right, Fontenot isn't necessarily the problem...

the problem is that Miles is the replacement for Ramirez, and he’s stunk so far (and isn’t likely to ever be good).

Very true

which is why a number of folks here were particularly concerned about that aspect of the team coming into this season.

What about

bringing up Blanco from Iowa? he can at least compete with Miles for 2nd

darn

that should be a reply to SouthernCub about Miles.

That is a sensible idea

Blanco can’t possibly do worse at the plate than “Erin Inches.” But is he a 2B?

He's a shortstop...

but most true SS can play 3B or 2B if needed.

Maybe this is a stretch...

But what about calling up Blanco for SS, putting Theriot at 2B and leaving Fontenot at 3B? Isn’t Theriot supposed to be at 2B anyway? Or did I just make that up?

redward - April 29, 2009 reply

Theriot

is a career shortstop. Many here believe he is better suited for 2B because of his lack of arm strength.

huh?

he was brought up to play second, and moved to short when the Cubs got DeRosa.

"Isn't Theriot supposed to be at 2B anyway?"

Practically our motto.

Theriot came up to play second

and as soon as the Cubs get a better SS option he will return there

Have they ever tried Fontenot at short

with Theriot at second?

Im not sure

But i don’t think either of them would go for it as they played 2nd and Short together in college. It would probably take way to much work for them to figure out the chemistry the other way around.

I think they tried in 2007

Fontenot was moved back to second within 2 innings. Seriously

No kidding?

Wow. So Theriot is literally the best we got?

Pretty much.

At least in terms of being major league ready.

Until Darwin Barney's

continued evolution to Major League ready shortstop is complete.

Nice

I see what you did there

TheRiot Police - May 1, 2009 reply

last year

there were a few times when Cedeno was a Short and Riot was at second.

Not last year.

Theriot hasn’t played 2B since 2007, when he played 30-odd games there.

He was primarily a SS in his rise through the system, but played some 2B at most of his stops, too.

D98 - April 29, 2009 reply

really?

maybe it was Fonty at second.

Well that could be a way to go, then

Get a SS, then we have a good number of infield options: Theriot at SS and 2B (assuming he works out there), Fontenot at 2B and 3B.

Now where can we find a SS?

redward - April 29, 2009 reply

This is an interesting thought...

…but I simply could not envision Lou doing this. I think he’d view it as an insult to or demotion of Ryan Theriot. Again, if Scales is a decent defensive third baseman, give him his cup of coffee.

I'd be okay with that

I don’t think Blanco addresses the hitting issues (he’s not much with the bat either), but he’s better defensively.

I realize that he isn't much of a hitter

but he would give us defensive flexability and I think he could either move Fonte back over or compete with Miles for 2nd base. Either way if you give Miles some competition one of them will hopefully rise to the top and get hot.

I honestly don't think it would make much difference...

We’d still have a weak hitter in the lineup everyday (Blanco or Miles). Blanco would be better defensively than Miles, so that’d be a plus. But the lineup would still suffer. And I don’t think the added competition would really make a difference on the hitting productivity.

But, it would be another warm body who could play the infield, and that’s not a bad thing. If Ramirez does need the DL, Blanco wouldn’t be the worst option.

Right.

There’s simply no way to replace Aramis’ offensive production – or even come close. Better to save runs in the field and hope other hitters can pick up the slack.

Very very true

We just hope that the other hitters can pick up the slack, which they seem to have done for the most part since he went down. Plus getting DLee and Milton Back should help a lot with that.

that's missing less than 20 games

Playing all 162 games doesn’t happen all that often…

caption...

“I thought you said that green paste I added to the soy sauce wasn’t hot?”

LAcarl519 - April 29, 2009 reply

DeRosa had a nice game yesterday - 4 for 5

Miss ya, Mark!

malicedoom - April 29, 2009 reply

according to Boston:

Don’t look back!

eswan9 - April 29, 2009 reply

Remember, if the Cubs don't make the playoffs this season,

it’ll be because they didn’t have DeRosa. Absolute fact.

Hard to say we haven't missed him right now

Since the injuries have all been at positions DeRo would have filled in at.

I'm tired of all the whining about it

He had a good night last night but was 2-for-22 right before that. I’m sure that would have gone down well with a lot of the complainers here.

What an annoying fact you've presented us all with! Man!

Silence, complainer!

Or I shall smite thee with mine Lillyhammer.

And if you doubt its effectiveness

just ask Mothra.

MOOOOOOOOTHRA!

MOOOOOOOTHRA!

lol

while I don’t disagree with the stats (stats don’t lie, they just sometimes mislead), I can suggest that as a Cubs fan, I would have felt more COMFORTABLE with DeRosa at second instead of Miles, or DeRosa at third and Fonty at second.

Exactly

+ 1

Maybe, maybe not

DeRosa was extremely popular here, his versatility is unmatched, and he was essentially traded so we could DFA Gaudin and Vizcaino. I understand that he’s gone, but I’ll spend the whole season wondering what he would be doing here.

If that's the case

you’re wasting a perfectly good season. Don’t burden yourself.

oh, cmon

you have no wistful thoughts about DeRo or Woody? Really?

How about

kick their asses this summer?

I'd like to do that too.

Wistful thoughts are one thing

Carping constantly about them not being here is something else.

the situation lends itself

to hindsight. That’s all.

Oh, sure,

but there’s been so much hindsight about this one that some posters’ necks might get frozen in that position.

Analyzing something like that really is best done after the season, or at least much later. Not after 16-17 games.

I tend to agree.

losing makes people question things.

10-9 ain't exactly "losing"

Not exactly “awesome,” either, but … not worth this much introspection.

and it's not been all that introspective.

but… eh. I miss DeRosa, myself.

Maybe "introspection" isn't the right word

But it sure doesn’t seem to me DeRosa is much better, right now, than anybody else the Cubs have. I’m sure I’ll get filleted for that, but …

I'll spend the whole season having fun rooting for the players that play baseball for the Cubs.

I will too

I see no problem with playing a little What If? along the way.

So play a LITTLE. Don't bring DeRosa up everytime you see he's had a good game and lament that he's not here everytime Fonty or Miles does poorly.

My mentioning of DeRo had nothing to do with his good game last night

In fact I didn’t know he had a good game until somebody said it. I said it would be nice to have him with our current injuries, I had no idea about his stats this season.

Point taken.

Ifs and buts were fruits and nuts,

we’d all have a Merry Christmas.

Well, that doesn't sound like any healthier an idea...

… than spending your whole second marriage wondering what it’d be like with the first wife you dumped for the new one. You may miss her, but she ain’t coming back.

Jump in to bed with this lineup!

I totally

do not miss my first wife. I don’t care what team she gets traded too.

So you're saying

it’s okay to have a mancrush on Rami?

Good to know.

Good for me, you mean.

he’s mine!

If having a mancrush on Rami is wrong...

…. i don’t want to be right. And these last few games have shown why.

But every Disney movie has the divorced parents get back together at the end

So who do I believe you or Walt Disney?

Walt has also got down with love between...

… a human prince and a mermaid. Believe me, as much as we miss him… he’s not coming back.

Entertaining tweet from Gordo

apparently Zambrano wrote his own name onto the lineup card for today’s game as an available switch hitter.

Well,

MLBN was calling him The Great Zambino last night…

LOL

Z was on Monday’s sub list. Why not?

Play him at third

If the Cubs thought he could do it without getting hurt, they might try it.

I’ll bet he’d throw his shoulder out throwing balls to 1B, though.

Either that

or DLee would be spending alot of time in the first base dugout chasing Zambrano’s sinker

Z

i think if the Cubs askd Z to stand on his head clucking like a chicken in his underwear if he thought it would help them win he would.

Speaking of Z anyone else hear they might have his citizenship ceremony held in a pregame ceremony?

Re: Citizenship ceremony

Allow me to rant for a sec here: I love what Z has done for the Cubs and I think he could be a nice person to hang out with and shoot the crap. But as a legal alien in this country, who has had to jump through innumerable hoops and pitfalls set by ICE and DHS, it bothers me that they go out of their way to do something special for a “high profile” individual. Why should he use personnel paid for by your taxes and my fees to do his pledge of allegiance? I hope this is nothing but a rumor.

Sorry and pay no attention to me.

They would have the same ceremony and people that they would if he took his oath anywhere else and if the Cubs paid the extra costs it would be fine.

How do you know Z hasn't had to jump through those same hoops?

I admit

I admit I wondered if any special consideration was given to Z because of his celebrity status.

He fits all the criteria as far as we know.

And they’d pay the person giving him the oath the same they’d pay for it to be anywhere else. Part of the rumor is he’d be part of a whole group taking it together,

And if you want a real doozy take a look at the test you have to take. I am a college graduate who minored in history and took the practice test when I worked for a lawyer and I barely passed.

I don't

And I’m sure it was as easy/hard for him as it was for me. It just irks me that funds may be used to set up something special for a high profile individual.

I look forward to pledging allegiance along with a few hundred people at Immigration Court on Congress and Clark.

A good friend

A good friend of mine is a legal alien and working on becoming a citizen so I have some idea what you are going through.

I also think the oath of citizenship is an awesome thing to witness. I used to work for a lawyer who helped people get their citizenship and attended a few.

I was wondering about this

and was thinking about it as a fanpost/fan shot, but figured I would try the topic here first.

How do you value a leadoff home run? We have a guy in Sorianno that can give us the lead with one swing of the bat right from the start.

I grew up watching Brady Anderson hit leadoff for the Orioles. This was a quality that he possessed at times as well. Im wondering if my childhood experience over values the leadoff longball or if there really is value in the momentum it provides.

It can kickstart the offense and rattle their defense.

It’s not perfect, cos we obviously lost the first game against Arizona even though Sori went yard. But I love it.

If this is a roundabout way of asking whether Fonzie would be more productive batter later in the lineup with men potentially on base, I think this past weekend and last night in particular squashes that question.

Im not

advocating him to be moved down. I like where he is and I think that leadoff home runs are a very valuable part of the game. Im just wondering if I overvalue them because I remember so many games where old Brady went yard (roids or not he was a favorite).

Prolly a little of both.

There's probably a small intangible benefit...

in that it gives an immediate boost of confidence. But for the most part I suspect it’s just another solo HR.

In other words, it’s definitely not meaningless, but I wouldn’t try to put TOO much meaning into it either.

I would like to know....

… what the Cubs’ record is in games where Sori has led off with a home run.

Anyone care to look this up and report back?

this year they are 2 and 1

I dont know about years past.

He's hit something like 20 for us...

don’t know the record, but that’s a pretty small sample (sorry – nerd alert, I know).

There were 14 in 2007...

… that’s the team record for one season.

By my count

the Cubs are 14-6 (0.700) when Sori hits a lead-off homerun

9-3 in 2007 (I only counted 12 lead-off homeruns in 2007)
3-2 in 2008
2-1 in 2009

were there only five

in 2008? Sure felt like more.

I thought so too

but that is all I could find

I thought I remembered hearing he had hit 14 which broke Ernie Banks' team record for such things.

I think that was

number of homeruns for the month of september

Right.

I knew he broke one of Ernie’s records.

Baseball Ref says 12

Here.

Thanks.

A 14-6 record in games where Sori has led off with a HR is excellent.

Agreed.

I was wondering about that. Now it makes me wonder how the O’s really did when Brady was blasting leadoff jacks…guess i gotta go do figure that one out…

Yeah

I only research Cubs related stuff :P

If you do care

O’s were 23-18 when Brady Anderson hit a leadoff jack.
They were 788-763 during the same period of time.
There were a few other lead off homers during that period that I didn’t check records on because I was mostly looking at Anderson’s impact. But those are the numbers from 92-2001. So i guess my memory serves me ok. they were a bit better when Anderson led off with a leadoff homer.

Obvious small sample size warning applies.

ricky henderson?

if someone has the time to check it out…

JCD - April 29, 2009 reply

I dont have that kind of time...

Too many for me…

To me the real question is not whether a HR hitter leading off helps the team win, because...

of course he helps… a lot. The question is who else the team has to hit the HR’s later in the batter order that produce multiple runs. The American League is a different animal because the pitcher doesn’t hit, so you don’t have an out hitting ahead of your power leadof hitter. Look what happened last night when we had a good hitting pitcher in the 9 slot. Soriano had 3 RBI’s with one HR. That doesn’t happen very often with the usual lineup. With Ramírez injured and Lee and Soto in a power slump, the Cubs don’t have many power options. In fact, you could argue Fontenot and Fukudome have been picking up the slack a little bit so far. Regardless of where Soriano hits or how much he helps the team hitting HR’s while leading off (which he does), the Cubs need another power hitter in the middle of that order. Paging Milton Bradley…

But

if runners get on in front of the pitcher. He often moves them over. having a Power/RBI guy in that 1 slot gives you some nice options, Doubles and sac flies often mean runs.

Sure. No disagreement here.

It’s just easier in the AL. The 9 hitter is not an automatic out like a lot of those pitchers in the NL. It’s like the NL games in the middle innings, when the pinch hitters start batting for the pitchers.

Very true

Making a comparison b/n lead off jacks in the AL and NL is a bit like apples and oranges. But I think that the momentum swing in those games is pretty automatic. You will not be shutout. If you are the away team you have the lead right off the bat. if you are the home team if you managed to shut the other team down in the first you now have the lead. If you let one or two in then you get the crowd back right away. Im just wondering if my leaning is correct on this one.

and that's why

the NL is real baseball, and the AL is not.

Headline caption: "Braising Arizona - Act II"

Photo caption: “Listen son, if you want the Chevrolet Player of the Game award more often, you’re gonna have to learn to slap a twenty on Pat & Ron.”

ballhawk - April 29, 2009 reply

Probably beating the already dead horse here but...

…doesn’t this ‘We have no infielders’ thing seem completely and totally insane?!? How could this happen?

malicedoom - April 29, 2009 reply

They rolled the dice...

hoping that we’d not need more than one backup IF all season. They did it last year for a few weeks, but that was when DeRosa was in the starting OF and could move to the IF.

Caption:

Atta boy, Dome. Can you play third?

tucsoncubsfan - April 29, 2009 reply

They have to try Fox at 3rd base.

…at least in the minors. Aramis Ramirez himself was a butcher with the Pirates, but he quickly learned the position in Chicago.

They should have been doing this from day one this year.

Very true

hes a national league minor leaguer for crying out loud find the guy a position he is suited for. They should make him work hard on agility this off season and get him playing 3rd from the outset next year.

unless they already knew what would happen

looking at scouting reports, and such.

eswan9 - April 29, 2009 reply

Wait I have a better idea...

SORIANO back to 2nd base. People forget he is a world champion 2nd baseman. Then you can hide Fox in left. Just play your CF in the gap and your SS deep in the hole.

Please add the sarcasm indicator...

he hasn't added it, Daver.

Lemme try again.

Just in case anybody thinks the above suggestion is a real option

Go smash your head against the wall 100 times and read it again. Repeat until the idea is gone.

::: Deep breath :::

…please add the sarcasm indicator……please add the sarcasm indicator……please add the sarcasm indicator……please add the sarcasm indicator……please add the sarcasm indicator……please add the sarcasm indicator……please add the sarcasm indicator……please add the sarcasm indicator……please add the sarcasm indicator……please add the sarcasm indicator……please add the sarcasm indicator……please add the sarcasm indicator……please add the sarcasm indicator……please add the sarcasm indicator……please add the sarcasm indicator……please add the sarcasm indicator……please add the sarcasm indicator……please add the sarcasm indicator……please add the sarcasm indicator……please add the sarcasm indicator……please add the sarcasm indicator……please add the sarcasm indicator……please add the sarcasm indicator……please add the sarcasm indicator…

I call Offbeat Shenanigans.

No way all that was said on one breath.

My training as an opera singer serves me well.

Are we Brunhilda?

I think we're the Three Tenors.

I call Placido!

I call "the other guy!"

I guess I'll be the dead guy.

above

sarcasm

that is

whoa I can skip the subject heading?

No. No, you can’t. Now, if you’ll please come with me…

Phew.

It becomes a lot easier to play third

When Derrek Lee is the first baseman.

+1

eswan9 - April 29, 2009 reply

...and not some guy in Iowa

whoever that may be.

how bout

trying DeRo at 3rd? oooooops!

plenz - April 29, 2009 reply

It never ends

Ramirez was no butcher at Pittsburgh...

Pittsburgh trotted him out every day, even when his legs were injured; just to keep his bat in the line-up. This decreased his range & affected his throws to first. He is no gold glover by any means, but he certainly was not, and is not a butcher.

Jimmyeatworld - April 29, 2009 reply

YES...............

How very true that is…..

cubs north - April 29, 2009 reply

What about Koyie Hill at 3B if Aram is DL'd?

I don’t know how bad he’d be out there, but to me, replacing our best hitter with Aaron Miles just simply isn’t an option. So I figure we’ve got Hill (who I know was an infielder at one point in his amateur career) who has been hitting very, very well… and don’t have any options in the minors for 3B… so why not?

kanderber - April 29, 2009 reply

Nevermind, I see this has already been discussed above.

kanderber - April 29, 2009 reply

GO CUBS!

Scruff0082 - April 29, 2009 reply

Vitters

solves all probems..

fischisgod - April 29, 2009 reply

...in Peoria.

except for the Asian Carp infestation…

Scruff0082 - April 29, 2009 reply

CURSE YOU, MEGATRON!

Also

Before we decide how drastic the Cubs have to do to deal with Ramirez let’s find out how long he’ll be out.

If it’s the 15 days of the Dl 5 are already gone it’s one thing. But much more than that is another issue.

Great point...

I think they can play another 10 games with LBR over there. If it is DRASTICALLY longer, which I doubt it will be, they need to think about trading or signing someone.

Fishbone2 - April 29, 2009 reply

I think we'll know more when he runs in Chicago tomorrow.

The nice thing is that any DL stint will be made retroactively, so Ramirez will be back sooner rather than later.

It has been

feast or famine recently offensively. Hopefully, the game Monday was the aberration from the norm and they will continue to hit the ball like they did Sunday and last night. I think Ramirez is the player they can least afford to lose, but I would rather see them put him on the DL and let him get healthy than have him plagued by the injury all season long.

qccub - April 29, 2009 reply

trying to change up my day game luck today...

I just ordered a grilled kosher hot dog (with fries) for lunch. all the healthy stuff has been a loser so far. the place is only a block away, so I should be back in time for the start.

so today, I go with the artery-clogger!

May the Schwartz be with us (in honor of the kosher hot dog)!! GO CUBS!!

LAcarl519 - April 29, 2009 reply

I didn't wear a Cubs shirt

yesterday or the day before. So now I don’t know what to do.

Today, I’m wearing my Zambrano shirt as a show of respect for his amazing day yesterday.

A $140 million ballclub should have a decent bench

Crikey. In hingsight, I REALLY wish there was truth in those Mark Teahan rumors last winter. Teahan would look great playing 2nd base several days a week and also helping out at 3rd base, 1st base and the outfield.

In fact, here is a proposal…

Tony Thomas and Jay Jackson for Mark Teahan. In the immortal words of Sid Finkle in the movie version of Starsky and Hutch, “do it.”

The problem is that Alex Gordon is out

and Teahen is hitting really well. They won’t trade him now. At least we know that if we’d gotten Nomar, he’d be injured now, too.

Teahan would have solved a boatload of needs on this team if we just had to trade away Mark DeRosa (ugh)

I will NEVER forgive Hendry for trading away the imminently affordable and enormously versatile and quite good DeRosa. Never.

So your mind is made up...good. I trust this is the end of hearing about it.

Not my style

I prefer to dredge this up whenever it personally convenient to my eloquent arguments. You guys get subscription-grade posting from me and should be grateful.

After all this time...

you’ve finally decided to have a sense of humor about yourself. I’m tearing up.

Humor only comes with your paid BLou Insider subscription

Sorry.

Nice.

Rec’d for posterity.

I kept

the receipt.

My posts are weapons grade.

That's a long time

to carry around a baseball-related grudge.

didn't Teahan have an awful year last year?

We would have been bitching like crazy had we gotten him

plenz - April 29, 2009 reply

In all seriousness it is time to swing a deal for a semi-meaningful infielder

Billy Hall in Milwaukee carries a skill set we could use, but the Brewers won’t trade him to the Cubs plus he has a terrible contract.

does that skill set include a frightening strikeout ratio?

Crikey

Newsflash…its not all about the wondrous hitting when talking about a versatile infielder type. Rather it is the ability of a guy to play serviceable to good defense at multiple positions, unlike Mr. Aaron “I got $5 million from the Cubs” Miles.

It's not Aaron Miles' defense that makes him terrible.

+1

malicedoom - April 29, 2009 reply

can I get a hellz yeah?

You haven't been watching very closely

Miles is a below average 2nd baseman and has ZERO business ever playing shortstop or 3rd base. But hey, Jim Hendry shed Mark DeRosa and his remaining $5.5 million due in 2009 for the privilege of shedding payroll and then proceeding to sign Aaron Miles to a $5.0 million deal !!!!!!

It's confirmed

No DeRosa, no postseason. Who knew he was the most important baseball player in the universe?

This really is getting ridiculous.

But it won't get to ridiculous unless you have a subscription.

Heavens to mergatroid

Don’t tell me with a straight face that the Cubs don’t significantly miss Mark DeRosa. Not only is Mike Fontenot in over his head as an everyday 2nd baseman but we have seen firsthand the impact of injuries to our everyday 3rd baseman and 1st baseman. Plus DeRosa could spell the rapidly fading Derrek Lee at 1st base.

he can't do

all that at once.

I'm confused on DLee

Sometimes you say he is rapidly fading and other times you say he’s been in decline for a very long time. Hm… maybe it’s neither.

Isn't worth $5 million for a switch hitter?

After all, we had 4 of them in last night’s line-up.

Scruff0082 - April 29, 2009 reply

I'm aware of the role of a versatile infielder type

but Bill Hall has played 2B 4 times in the last three years. His trip to CF was a failed experiment, and while he plays a decent 3B, I don’t know if he’s the “versatile infielder type” you’re looking for.

Now, I’m not sure that Miles is either – oddly enough, Ronny Cedeno probably would have been fine in this role.

We need to find SOMEBODY

I don’t know who. Surely there has got to be some team out there anxious to shed what they view as an overpaid infielder. Jack Wilson actually makes some sense because he is a fine defensive shortstop and would free up Ryan Theriot to become the super-sub and play near everyday between 2nd base, shortstop and maybe even a little outfield. Hendry has always liked Wilson too.

Jack Wilson's on the DL.

no way in hell

is Lou Piniella going to make Theriot a super-sub.

Given the dearth of choices, I'm alright with Miles for now (as long as Ramirez gets healthy)

Just for comparison’s sake, here is Miles versus Wilson (career numbers):

Miles: .287/.327/.689
Wilson: .269/.312/.686

but Wilson's defense at Short

dwarfs Miles, easily.

I'm going to keep saying "Fernando Tatis"

until somebody tells me I’ve gotten subscription-grade in my repetitions.

he's worth looking into