The Curse of Wrigley Field

I’m new to Cub fandom, so I’m pretty indifferent to the Jim Edmonds deal. While I’ve always hated the Cardinals, I never had a problem with Edmonds. In fact, I sorta-kinda respected him as a defensive player. But I’m not going to defend the Cubs’ decision to go after the guy.

First and foremost, Cubs fans hate him. My crack staff at The Curse has compiled a computer simulation of what may happen if Edmonds becomes a Cub. Here’s a screen grab from that simulation:

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The Cubs stormed out of the gate but then stumbled along the rest of the way during a 4-3 loss to the Padres.

Chicago scored three runs in the first two innings thanks to a leadoff home run from Alfonso Soriano (his 4th career lead off dinger) and a two-run double in the second inning from Reed Johnson. But apparently that was all the Cubs thought they needed because they were cold the rest of the evening. Making matters worse, was the fact that Shawn Estes was pitching for the Padres.

Yes, that Shawn Estes. The one that was popular in the mid-freakin-90s.

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The only thing more surprising than the Cubs sweeping Arizona this weekend was Jay Mariotti writing something positive about the team. Well, sort of.

While Mariotti downplays the whole idea of revenge (I say screw it and play it up big time!), he does grudgingly acknowledge there is a pretty good baseball team on the North Side. The same way a child grudgingly apologizes for hitting someone.

Let’s take a closer look, shall we?

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They say revenge is a dish best served cold. So it was fitting that a chill hung over Wrigley Field while the Cubs completed a three-game sweep of the Diamonbacks with a 6-4 win. In case you forgot, (which is highly unlikely), Arizona was the team completing a three-game sweep in October during last year’s National League Divisional Series. So Cubs Nation must be feeling pretty good this morning. 

It’s just May, but this slump busting series is better than any inflatable doll Ozzie Guillen and the White Sox can come up with.

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 The Cubs started their longest home stand of the season (10 games) Friday afternoon and it didn’t take long for them to get comfy.

After Arizona’s Chris Young went yard off Ted Lilly, again, to give the D-Backs a 1-0 lead, the lefty starter was lights out and Chicago went on to win 3-1.

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According to the Chicago Tribune, Alfonso Soriano has the second-worst on-base percentage of any playing leading off in the National League. On the Cubs alone, Soriano has the third worst percentage. But that means nothing to GM Jim Hendry.

On Wednesday he publicly defended Lou Piniella’s decision to keep Soriano in the lead off spot:

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Welcome back to the starting rotation Jon Leiber. You’ve been missed by fans and Major League hitters alike.

Lieber probably needed a hug after giving up four home runs in the first inning to the Reds. Even if that hug came from a giant flesh-eating wild animal.

But give him credit. He lasted one more inning than most of us would have had we given up four home runs in one inning. Unfortunately after Lieber’s two innings of ”work” (five runs off seven hits), the Reds continued to pound the Cubs en route to a 9-0 drubbing. The next two pitchers weren’t much better.

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Cubs manager Lou Piniella finally heard my calls for change and started Ronny Cedeno at second base Tuesday night. Sure, Cedeno committed an error, even though he is suppposed to be much better at second base than Mark Fontenot. But not to worry Cubs nation. Cedeno is the better option at second base.

Firstly, he’s hitting the crap out of the ball right now and Piniella needs to keep him in the line up. He’s done enough to earn a starting spot and he should stay there until his defense or bat completely fail him.

Secondly he’s not a bad fielder. He’s not the best fielder the Cubs have, but my god he’s hitting .373!

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Ten years to the day Kerry Wood struck out 20 batters in a game, Carlos Zambrano was just as dominant.

Striking out three.

Zambrano came up huge for the Cubs, providing a spark that has been lacking the last couple of weeks with the exception of Zambrano starts. Big Z scattered three hits over eight innings and shut out the Reds en route to a 3-0 Chicago win. Wood fittingly closed the game with back-to-back strike outs for his fifth save of the season.

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Mike Fontenot looks like he’s about 16. And high. Which probably explains his decision to try and score from third base in the ninth inning with one out and the Cubs trailing 5-3.

The ball didn’t get as far away from the catcher as he thought and Fontenot was easily thrown out at home, leaving it up to Mark DeRosa and Derreck Lee to save his behind and end Chicago’s funk. Not the best way to make up for a first inning error that cost your team three runs. But baseball is a team game and the Cubs’ 5-3 loss to the Reds was a team effort.

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Rich Hill we hardly knew thee. No, seriously, we hardly do know thee.

Last year Hill went 11-8 and struck out 183 batters (a team best) during his first ful season with the club. To begin this season Hill has an ERA over four and has walked 18 guys in 19-2/3 innings. So, which pitcher is he?

I’m hoping the former becuase it would be a shame to see a former Michigan ball player fall from the ranks of Major League Baseball. Being a brand-spanking new Michigan alum, I kind of have a bias for Hill.

Lou Piniella, however, doesn’t. The straw that broke the camel’s back for Hill was the four walks he issued to the first six batters in the first inning of Friday night’s game against St. Louis. Piniella had enough and yanked Hill. Then he was optioned to Triple-A Iowa.

Now Hill must try to regain his form in the obscurity of corn fields and long bus rides. It’s worked for Hill before and it could work again. I sure hope so because I’m already depressed over the poor performance of another former Michigan ball player; J.J. Putz.

Ronny Cedeno will not be ignored.

After hitting .383 with a .473 on-base percentage in 22 games, manager Lou Piniella has to come up with a way to get Cedeno’s bat in the lineup.

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Jason Marquis, with a chance to salvage the series and stick it to his former employer, was as effective as anger management courses for Lou Piniella during the Cubs’ 5-3 loss to St. Louis Sunday night. He allowed five runs and notched five walks over 5-1/3 innings. Fittingly, his ERA is now over five. And if he continues to pitch this poorly he may no longer be one of the Cubs five starters.

His teammates didn’t do much to help. With the bases loaded and no outs in the seventh, the vaunted-Chicago lineup managed to score just one run — a sacrifice fly from Kosuke Fukudome.

The Cubs have now lost three series in a row and went 2-4 against their chief competition for the National League Central Division title.

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The above picture was taken just moments before Kerry Wood threw the first pitch of the ninth inning during Thursday afternoon’s game. I bet you can guess what happened next.

No, Craig Counsell didn’t line one back up the middle, sending Wood’s glove, hat and clothing flying in all different directions. But he might as well.

Wood drilled Counsell with the first pitch of the inning. Gabe Kapler hit a double. Then, Jason Kendall drove in Counsell. And faster than Charlie Brown could yell “AAUGH!” the Cubs were down 4-3 and Wood had blown his third save this season.

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It’s tough to think of Kosuke Fukudome as a rookie, what with the nine seasons of Japanese professional baseball under his belt and all, but the reality is that Mr. Fukudome is a rookie by Major League standards.

And what a rookie he is.

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In my previous post I came to the defense of Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. For those of you who didn’t catch the game last night, Cuban was sitting in the Tribune Co.’s primo seating for the game. Cuban has publicly expressed interest in owning the Cubs and as luck would have it the Tribune Co. is publicly interested  in selling the team.

Now I know there are quite a few people who are rolling their eyes. Cuban’s excentric egomania doesn’t seem to mesh well with the humble, down-to-earth perception of baseball. But the reality is that baseball needs Mark Cuban. OK, maybe need is a strong word, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt the sport to have Cuban owning one of the league’s iconic franchises.

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Alfonso Soriano is kind of like Mariah Carey: you either love him or you hate him. I’ve done both.

But regardless of how you feel about him, you have to admit that Soriano is important to this Cubs lineup. Well, Mike Downey agrees with you. And he also tries to insult the intelligence of any competent sports fan.

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Ten years ago I was just 12, smoking was banned in all California bars and restaurants, Bill Clinton emphatically promised the nation he did not have sexual relations with Monica Lewinsky and Google was founded.

It was also ten years ago that Kerry Wood exploded onto the baseball scene with his 20K performance against the Houston Astros.

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Fourteen players came up to the plate, 12 of them got base hits and nine of those fellows drove in a run during the Cubs’ 19-5 whipping of Milwaukee. So how does Felix Pie manage not to get a single hit last night?

Regardless, Chicago made up for Tuesday’s lost opportunity by taking every single opportunity it had Wednesday night and then some. Geovany Soto, who struck out in eight straight at bats over the weekend, jacked two three-run home runs; Aramis Ramirez and Ronny Cedeno each drove in three RBI and Mark DeRosa went 2-for-3 with two RBI and three walks. Oh and I think there was a partridge in a pear tree somewhere in there.
 

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Not satisfied with the city’s lack of sports related injuries, the fine folks of Freeport, Illinois have opened a miniature replica of Wrigley Field. The above shot is a picture of the little field not yet covered with ivy.

Nothing screams safety more than 11 and 12 years olds and brick walls. But that’s OK, once the ivy grows in it’ll be plenty of padding for little Johnny’s skull.

All kidding aside, it’s a pretty sweet concept and I’d be thrilled if I was a Little Leaguer.

Now, where is the replica Tropicana Field for the little Rays fans in Tampa?

The Cubs last four games have been less than steller, but have no fear Cubs Nation, your savior Alfonso Soriano is coming back! From the Sun Times:

How much leadoff hitter Alfonso Soriano can do fresh off the disabled list is anybody’s guess, but the $136 million man had his best, most vigorous workout since injuring his right calf April 15 and promises to be ready to play at close to full speed by Thursday when he’s eligble to come off the DL. He has another big day of on-field work Tuesday.

“We’ve held our own well, to the credit of our team, and we look forward to getting him back,” manager Lou Piniell said.

He’s done so well, according to a completely made up source of mine, he’s already swinging and missing at game speed.

It’s clear from the photo above that Cubs rookie catcher Geovany Soto knows how to keep his eye on the ball. I mean, look at that focus. A roague catcher’s mask won’t get in the way between him and that baseball!

Unfortunately when Soto doesn’t have a large object dangling from the side of his face, he has a much tougher time keeping his eye on the ball. Case in point: eight straight strikeouts, five of which came Saturday at Washington. If not for his day off on Sunday, he may have added to his illustrious streak. But no worries, even with an extra day off to sit around and just think about how much five strikeouts in one night sucks, Soto doesn’t seem anxious about the prosepect of striking out more:

“I’m sure I’m not the only guy in history to do it. There’s still going to be someone after me, so I’m not worried about it.”

Hm, something tells me that would be the last thing you’d want to say if, for instance, you cheated on your significant other, robbed a bank or killed someone. But it’s certainly the right attitude to take after you’ve struckout eight straight times.

Wednesday’s probably starter for Milwaukee: Ben Sheets.

Yeah, I think Soto is going to be just fine.

It’s certainly not the end of the season, but don’t you wish Mark Grace was embracing you right now after a difficult 2-0 loss to Washington? I know Ted Lilly could use it. The guy struggles to start the season, finally puts together two consecutive quality starts and has a boring 1-1 record to show for it.

His two earned runs over six innings, oh and seven strikeouts, weren’t good enough for a team that is currently second in the National League in batting average and RBI.

Ryan Theriot (0-for-3) left four runners on base and Ronny Cedeno (1-for-4) left three of his own out to dry to point out the only notable statistics from the offensive side of the plate. At least Derreck Lee earned two walks to cover up his 0-for-2 day.

Cedeno was quick to take back his more-than-optimistic comments following Chicago’s impressive 7-1 win over the Mets April 21. Since then the Cubs have gone 3-3. Fortunately, things haven’t changed much. Chicago is still just a half a game up on the Cardinals in the division and the starting pitching continues to be solid.

In fact, since Ted Lilly gave up five earned runs to the Reds on April 18, no starter has given up more than three earned runs and just once has a starter given up that many (Ryan Dempster v. Pittsburgh April 20). As for the bullpen, it cost the Cubs late at Washington Friday and almost cost the Cubs a game last Wednesday. But with the exception of last Wednesday (a game Chicago ultimately won), the bullpen has pitched well enough to keep the Cubs in the game and that’s really all you can ask for from your pitchers.

Chicago gets a day off before beginning a huge stretch of six games agains division rivals — St. Louis and Milwaukee. The Cubs are just a half game up on the Cardinals and two games ahead of Milwaukee.

Now, I’ve never been to Wrigley Field so I don’t understand the intricacies of being a bleacher bum. But I didn’t think one had to risk his own life for the opportunity to cheer on the Cubs.

The gentlemen at Awful Announcing posted this video of a hot dog-eating contest in the bleachers and the results are, well, priceless.

I think AA is right on the money when they say:

It’s never good when you A) Lose to a woman in an eating contest and/or B) Almost dying and needing the Heimlich Maneuver.

I’d also include “C)Your friend is laughing hysterically while videotaping your near-death.”

The worst part is that a Reds fan was trying to save his life. If their fans perform just as well as their team, I think I’d rather take my chances with trying to cough the hot dog up.

You know things are going good for your team when Felix Pie hits a three-run home run.

Pie, who is currently hitting a healthy .172, notched his first home run of the season during the Cubs’ 7-1 win over the Mets last night. That’s doubly impressive when you consider he hasn’t started since April 15, taking the time to work on his swing.
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No Fukudome? No problem for the Cubs.

Considering how bad the Pirates have been against the North Siders, Lou Piniella could have started my brother’s Little League team and still won.

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Having trouble at work? You should pitch against the Pirates.

Girlfriend broke up with you? Pitch against the Pirates.

Has your house been foreclosed? Well, you should probably find the cheapest hotel in the area. Then pitch against the Pirates.

Fact of the matter is, if you’re having a tough time and you need pick-me-up, pitching against the Pirates is the best possible thing you could do.

For the second straight day Pirates hitters made a struggling Cubs pitcher looked more like Mordecai “Three Fingers” Brown. Chicago took Pittsburgh behind the woodshed for a 13-1 shellacking .

Jason Marquis was solid on the mound (six innings, one run, seven strikeouts) and picked up his first win of the season.

At the plate, Derreck Lee jacked a two-run homer to give him a league-leading seven home runs for the season. Mind you, last season he hadn’t hit No. 7 until mid July. His replacement, Daryle Ward, also knocked a two-run home run. Mark DeRosa and Ronny Cedeno were the other two players to knock in two RBI for the game.

Chicago (11-6) is now just half a game behind division-leading St. Louis and tied with Milwaukee. For those of you who have erased last season’s start from their heads, this win gives the Cubs one more than they had all of last April. Wooooo!!!!!

Chicago should dispatch the woeful Pirates tomorrow afternoon before playing a couple of real Major League teams (Mets and Rockies) during the week.

Ted Lilly wasn’t sharp for his third straight start and the Cubs lost their second straight game to the Phillies, 7-1.
Lilly had control problems all game and as a result he gave up five runs over 4-1/3 innings pitched. Lilly hasn’t made it past the fifth inning yet this season.
This was also the third straight game where the starting pitching has been less-than-stellar. Rich Hill lasted just three innings and gave up three runs during his start at Pittsburgh Thursday evening. Carlos Zambrano lasted longer duirng his start Friday but gave up five runs and took the loss. Now Chicago must rely on Jason Marquis Sunday to break this mediocre streak.
The same pitcher who have up four runs in 5-1/3 innings during his only start. That’s an ERA over six for those of you scoring at home. Awesome.
But I can’t criticize the pitching  too much. The hitters weren’t particularly sharp, either. Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels struck out five and allowed just one hit in seven innings of work. The Cubs managed just two hits after that, one of them an RBI single from Alfonso Soriano, his only hit of the evening.
If you need a bright spot, take a look at pitcher Kevin Hart. After being knocked around on back-to-back appearances against the Pirates, Hart was solid against Philadelphia. He went 2-2/3 innings and gave up just one hit.

Are you a big fan of American Idol? No? Well, Mark DeRosa would be ashamed of you! Because he’s not just an avid fan of the show, he has a favorite singer: Michael Johns

And guess who was recently voted off the show. That’s right, DeRosa’s boy. But rather than keep his emotions to himself or vent angrily to his mother over the phone like most of us would, he decided to voice his displeasure with MLB.com.

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All it took was one misplay and a miss on a catchable foul fly to bring Carlos Zambrano back from the chilled out stupor he’d been enjoying during his first two starts. Which is a great thing for me because I was beginning to worry about blogging an entire season without a Zambrano meltdown.

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