Clark & Addison Blog - CubHub.net

Game after game we are seeing this team grow into a force to be reckoned with. They are learning as a group how to win; that winning is possible every game. This team is maturing before our very eyes, and the sum is becoming greater than its parts. Today for example, Lou sits Aramis Ramirez. As the Rockies build a 7-0 lead, he pulls his 3rd & 4th hitters (Lee & Soto) to give them a breather too. To me, that signaled a white towel move. Most teams, I think, would have packed it in at that point. But this Cubs team truly believes they can win every game. Role players pick up the stars, they execute or if they don’t the next guy in the lineup does. The are figuring out how to win and that is exciting to watch. Not unlike a proud papa, I feel genuinely happy for these players as they rise together to become something special.

To win in this league, a team must have talent for sure. But health and luck play big roles too, and those things are hard to obtain and retain. So far so good… Arguably the teams biggest star, Alfonso Soriano, goes on the DL and the team easily fills in around him to win without him. That was an early indication this could be a good team.

But just looking at the games this week, its not the so-called marquee players that are making it happen, it’s the whole team. As much as I hate to admit it, Jim Edmonds had a big homer and a bigger 2-run double. Henry Blanco went yard. Mark DeRosa had the go-head home run. Fukudome picked an excellent time for his second major league bomb. …all this with Lee, Ramirez and Soto - the guys who are the number 1, 2 and 3 RBI producers on the club - sitting on the bench. Earlier this week there were big, big hits by Geovany Soto, Ryan Theriot, Mike Fontenot, Kosuke Fukudome… And how about the pitching of Carlos Marmol, Kerry Wood, and even Bobby Howry.  Literally everyone is contributing, and that’s what winning teams do.

Today’s monumental comeback from a 9-1 deficit in the 6th could very well be a hallmark game for this team. Mentionable in the same breath with the Sandberg game in ‘84, Willie Smith’s heroics in ‘69, Gabby Hartnett’s Homer in the Gloamin’, Tuffy Rhodes 3-HR opening day 1994 (off Dwight Gooden!), today’s game was special.  That said, it is still only May and there is a full two-thirds of the season remaining. I understand and accept that. But for now, it feels like this team has something very special going for it. We shall see…

It sure looked over early. Ted Lilly was tagged with 7 runs on 8 hits in just 3 innings work. The Cubs were down 9-1 in the sixth today and seemed to finally be showing a let down from a series of dramatic, emotional home victories. … Then the fireworks began and the Cubs went on a tear scoring 9 unanswered runs to win 10-9!  I guess the Team of Destiny talk can now officially begin in regard to the 2008 Cubbies. 

Further evidence of the miracle taking place:  Jim-Freakin-Edmonds went 3 for 4 with a HR and 3 RBIs!

I’ve been bothered all day thinking about Jim Edmonds puny .125 batting average in a Cub uniform. First of all, I don’t want to like the guy due to his prominence as a Cardinal. But with the 3 for 24 start to his Cubs career, its felt quite natural be negative in regard to him.

It occurred to me today though, that Jim Edmonds was cut by the Padres for hitting just .178 and as a Cub his average has actually gone down! So I did some poking around and found this to be true:

• Sammy Sosa hit more than a hundred points higher (and with 21 homers) last year and is out of baseball this year. He couldn’t find a taker for that meager production.
• Edmonds was cut by the Cardinals and Padres. Each of those teams are paying him millions this year for him to stink it up on the Cubs - and wasting a roster spot.  Pretty clever of them, no?
• Frank Thomas was cut by the Blue Jays for hitting just .167, which is 40 points higher than Edmonds’ Cubs average. (Of course now he’s hitting .319, with a .417 on-base & .516 slugging for the A’s.)
• Mark McGwire retired after hitting just .187 - 60 points higher than Jim Edmonds Cubs average.

So is Edmonds done, or what??  The numbers say so. The Cards say so. The Padres say so.  *I* say so… I predict Mr Jim Hendry will say so too - within a week or so…

Jim Edmonds time in Cubbie pinstripes could be coming to a close sooner rather than later. He is batting just .125, going 3 for 24 (all singles) since joining the Cubs. The boos are getting louder and louder for him and it figures Lou is making plans now for Life After Edmonds. In yesterday’s pre-game, Lou said there is no timetable on Edmonds but as a manager he has to find playing time for Micah Hoffpauir to see what he has there as well. Quoth Lou: “Obviously, defensive play is important, and I recognize that, but we need for Jim to hit,”

Edmonds has played a few days in a row this week, and I would expect him to start against righties for the next couple days as well. But Edmonds would need to find his stroke - and quickly - if he hopes to stick with a team managed by a guy who seems determined to win NOW.  Lou has shown his impatience with low-producers this year. The organization will give Edmonds every chance to prove the Cardinals and Padres were wrong to give up on him.  But Edmonds is not doing himself any favors in making a case to disprove the widely held belief that he is done as a player.

Roster moves are coming soon with Daryl Ward coming off the DL. Will Hoffpauir (batting .400 for the Cubs) stick or Edmonds? Or maybe a pitching shuffle again? Hard to say, but Lou has definitely shown himself to be a ‘what have you done for me lately’ manager this year.  And that is a very good thing.

As Steve Stone likes to point out, we better get used to the circus that is Alfonso Soriano because like it or not, we have him for the next 8 years.

Channeling Brant Brown yesterday, Soriano dropped the third out in the 9th that would have given the Cubs victory over the hapless Pirates. Instead, he failed to squeeze the glove when the ball got there - something I’m teaching my 5 year old boy to do. Seems like Alfonso has been reading the Sammy Sosa playbook since coming to Chicago.

• Lesson one: the fans dig the long ball;
• Lesson two: admire the HR from the moment of contact, then jog it out for maximum impact;
• Lesson three: hustle is optional, except on a national broadcast;
• Lesson four: making routine plays is fine if you have to, just don’t let your eyes make contact with the sun in case it may lead to retinal damage that could affect your power stroke (see Lesson one).

When Soriano brings the big stick, it’s all kisses and smiles.  But when he muffs the most routine of plays in the field, or gets picked off base, or blows a tire doing a “signature hop”, it’s Sammy time all over again.

If you haven’t already or want to vote again, the All Star Game Voting has begun!  It should be a priority for all Cubs fans to vote for the very best lineup possible to assure the NL team wins to benefit the World Series schedule.  The Cubs presence in the World Series is of course not assured, but that’s the plan, right? 

So vote with your mind, not with your heart.  And as we say in Chicago: Vote Early and Often!

Aquafina has created a Lou Piniella “bobblehead” Widget that will feature a Lou-ism as a daily affirmation.  Kinda silly if you ask me. But you can get the Widget for yourself at: http://www.aquafina.com/affirmations/

Making his major league debut pinch hitting on Sunday, Micah Hoffpauir was literally shaking in his shoes. In an interview following the game, he said he was trying hard to stop his back foot from shaking in the batters box. He struck out in this at bat, then drew a walk pinch hitting Tuesday in Houston. Wednesday was his first start and he went 2 for 4 with both hits being doubles. The guy had a great spring and could be among the rarest of the rare for the Cubs: a home-grown position player with the ability to be an everyday starter. 

Its still very early to tell, but Hoffpauir has shown signs of being able to drive the ball. Seems like the Cubs farm system can produce a lot of prospects and getting them to the big leagues is not a problem. They often arrive with a lot of hype, then sort of fizzle out. Maybe this happens with most clubs, but it just seems rare to me to have a non-pitcher come up and deliver right away. 

I wouldn’t anticipate him being with the big club for very long right now. Since he really doesn’t have a place to play I guess the brass wanted to give him a taste of the bigs, give D Lee a day off, and maybe come off the bench a few times before they send him back down. Then if there is an injury to a corner outfielder or first base, Hoffpauir will be better prepared to step up and give Hendry an option other than Matty Murton.

For now, Micah, enjoy the big leagues but don’t get too comfortable. You’re only here for a cup of coffee…