Former Cardinal Edmonds enters outfield mix

Jim Edmonds became the newest member of the Chicago Cubs Wednesday, inking a $290,000 contract for the remainder of the season. Edmonds’ Cubs salary is a prorated portion of the league-mininum $390,000. The outfielder was due to make $8 million this season, which will be paid by his former team, the San Diego Padres, according to an Associated Press report.

The four-time All-Star was cut by the Padres last Friday after getting off to a slow start while recovering from a calf injury he suffered during Spring Training. Edmonds began the year on the disabled list, but was activated on April 5. The Padres cut Edmonds after he was only able to hit .178 with a .265 on base percentage in 26 games this season.

Edmonds, who turns 38 on June 27, broke into the big leagues with the California Angles on Sept. 9, 1993. The 6-1, 190-pound outfielder stayed with the franchise, now known as the Los Angeles Angles of Anaheim, for another six seasons, before he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals prior to the 2000 season.

Edmonds stayed with the Cardinals for eight seasons, and was a member of the 2006 team that won the World Series. Three of Edmonds’ four All-Start appearances while he was a member of the Cardinals.

Last season, Edmonds hit .252 in 117 games for the Cardinals, with an OBP of .325.

The addition of Edmonds, who is a career .286 hitter with a .377 OBP, effectively ends the Felix Pie experiment for the time being. Pie was optioned to Triple-A Iowa Wednesday to make room for the outfielder.

Cubs fans had huge expectations for Pie going into the season, but the left-handed center fielder disappointed in the early-going, hitting a meager .222 with a .286 OBP through 30 games.

The left-handed Edmonds will split time in center field with righty Reed Johnson, who is hitting .256 with a .343 OBP in 36 games while Pie tries to find his swing in Triple-A.

Edmonds saw a lot of Wrigley Field as a member of the Cardinals, and the outfielder found some success at the Friendly Confines, hitting .254 with a .378 OBP in 65 games at the corner of Clark and Addison. Edmonds has more home runs (17) at Wrigley than at any other park where he has been an opponent.

Although some questioned the acquisition of the aging Edmonds, it’s a calculated risk with little downside since Edmonds isn’t even making the league-minimum.

Best case, Edmonds finds his stride this season, Johnson continues to surprise, and the Cubs have one decent right-handed center fielder for the rest of the season (Johnson) and one decent left-handed center fielder (Edmonds) for the rest of the season, who can each be counted on for averages of .250-.275 and OBPs of .325-.350.

Worst case, Edmonds never recovers fully from his injury, it’s clear that there isn’t much left in his 38-year-old tank, and the Cubs are out only about $300,000. If that happens, the Cubs could recall Pie and try the Johnson-Pie combination again. After all, the Cubs were 24-16 with that combination in the lineup before Edmonds was signed.

Image credit: http://ap.google.com/media/ALeqM5jjvLp5DgTbaXYVSAmbOB-Am-KoUg?size=s

Dispatches from the South Side: At least something’s offensive

Yesterday, we told you about White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen’s tirade at reporters before Sunday’s Sox-Blue Jays game in Toronto. Guillen was upset because his club was mired in a 4-game losing skid and the offense was anemic at best.

Today, the Chicago Sun-Times reported that the Southsiders have been using an unusual slump-buster: making an impromptu shrine of bats and inflatable sex dolls with the words “Push It” written on them.

Frank the Tank would be proud.

Image courtesy of: http://www.chasingthefrog.com/t-shirts/oldschool/blwupdll.jpg

At least “E:60″ has a sense of humor

As we told you about a few weeks ago, it seems that Miguel Tejada lied about his age throughout his career. The Astros’ shortstop’s secret was uncovered by ESPN reporter Tom Farrey, who captured Tejada in this “To Catch a Predator“-esque moment that would make Chris Hanson warm on the inside:

After the piece aired, Ferrey and ESPN were widely criticized for making the segment overly dramatic and misleading Tejada about the interview’s subject when they initially asked the shortstop to talk to Farrey for a piece that would air on “E:60,” the sports network’s fledgling news magazine show.

ESPN responded to its critics by airing this video, starring ESPN.com’s Bill “The Sports Guy” Simmons and late-night funnyman Jimmy Kimmel:

Although the network never addressed its handling of the Tejada interview, and this clip may never restore what -if any- creditability “E:60″ had, it’s refreshing to see one network that can poke fun at itself when it knows it made a mistake.

Ozzie Guillen: The picture of [bleepin'] class

Some hits from the story in today’s Chicago Tribune:

Mt. Ozzie on the Cubs:

” The Cubs haven’t won in [100] years, and they’re the [bleeping] best. [Bleep] it, we’re good. [Bleep] everybody. We’re horse[bleep], and we’re going to be horse[bleep] the rest of our lives, no matter how many World Series we win.”

“How about the Cubs celebrating that Lee Elia bull[bleep]? How many times do I curse people out? I will make a lot of money with my [stuff]. I have to keep going because in the future Ozzie will need money, and I can say, ‘Here, give me money, here’s the 10-year anniversary of my time I called [Jay] Mariotti stuff and the time I went on the radio and cursed out Mike North.’”

Mt. Ozzie on the White Sox:

“We won it a couple years ago, and we’re horse[bleep],” Guillen said sarcastically before the Sox (14-15) lost to the Blue Jays 4-3 and fell below .500 for the first time since April 3.”

“We have the worst owner (Jerry Reinsdorf). The guy’s got seven [bleeping] rings, and he’s the [bleeping] horse[bleep] owner.”

Mt. Ozzie on Chicago fans and Chicago media:

“If we had 50 people allowed on the roster, we could do that. That’s what ticks me off about Chicago fans and Chicago media: They forget pretty quickly. A couple of days ago we were the [bleeping] best [stuff] in town. Now we’re [bleep].”

“People are panicking,” said Guillen, whose Sox were in first place in the American League Central from April 15 until Saturday night. “Did we play a real bad week? Yes, we did, we stunk. But it wasn’t too long ago that we were — ‘the biggest surprise in baseball, wow, look at the White Sox.’”

“All of a sudden, there we go, back to normal. We have to deal with it. [Bleep] it. As long as the 25 guys out there believe we can do it, everyone else, hey … “

Now that Ozzie has cleared the air, only one [bleepin'] question remains: Who had the worse weekend? Cedric Benson, or Ozzie?

Full story

Image credit: http://www.theheckler.com/news/articlefiles/1268-07-09-12-ozzie.jpg

Game 31 Recap Cubs 3 Cardinals 5

The Cubs fell to the St. Louis Cardinals 5-3 in the last of a three game set. In a match-up of two players facing off against former teams, it was Cardinals pitcher Todd Wellemeyer that came out on top over Jason Marquis. This makes the third straight series the Cubs have lost. They are just 3-7 over their last 10 games.

The action started when the Cubs jumped on the Cards early in the second inning with a 2-0 lead. Reed Johnson doubled in Geovany Soto followed by a sac fly from Alfonso Soriano to drive in Mike Fontenot. The Cardinals came back however and tied it in the bottom half of the inning. Later, Albert Pujols would double in two more runs in the fourth inning to give the Cardinals the lead 4-2. They never looked back.

The Cardinals tacked on another run in the sixth inning to make it 5-2. The seventh inning brought along a very familiar situation, as the Cubs loaded the bases for the fifteenth consecutive game. This time it was with no outs and the heart of the order coming up. Derrek Lee and Kosuke Fukudome each recorded outs, with Fukudome driving in a run on a sacrifice fly to center. After which Mark DeRosa flied out to end the inning.

Tonight’s game marked the second game in a row that Aramis Ramirez was out of the lineup with a swollen wrist. Hopefully, he will be back for the Cincinnati series coming up as the Cubs continue their road trip this week.

Notable Stat

Mark DeRosa continues to struggle, going 0-4 and leaving 5 men on base.

Most Valuable Cub: Geovany Soto. The Cubs young catcher went 1-3 with a walk and a run scored. He also threw out Aaron Miles at second base on an attempted steal.

Red Line to Wrigley

Bill Murray: Actor, comedian, broadcaster, legend

In April 1987 when Harry Caray was forced to miss a few games due to a minor illness, actor/comedian/legendary Cubs fan Bill Murray was asked to step into the broadcast booth to accompany Steve Stone in calling a game against the Montreal Expos.

Look for: “Dr. Peter Venkman” himself taking some cuts in the cage during batting practice (0:13); Murray reading the lineups with his trademark comedic twist (”Would you be afraid of a guy named Herman Winningham?”) (4:54); the awkward/candid shot of Cubs legend Andre “Hawk” Dawson stretching in the Cubs dugout while the lineup for the Northsiders is being read (5:33).

On an interesting side note, it seems as if Murray and Stone are in front of a green screen. This would make sense, as games were rarely broadcast from the bleachers -as the background would indicate- although Harry would often join the fans in the bleachers underneath the scoreboard during Friday afternoon games.

The video’s title would indicate that there are additional parts. Unfortunately, it seems that they have been removed, but enjoy this 9:37 slice of heaven.

CS co-founders Dan (third from left) and

Ken (fourth from left) with Bill Murray at the Cubby Bear

If He Did it Once, He Can Do it Again

When I approach a fantasy draft, I have many strategies in mind, most of which need adaptations throughout the selection process.  Depending on the draft trends, I may forced to adjust my gameplan to maximize my success.  Good draftees need to be versatile on draft day.  But the part of my strategy that remains static, is my desire to draft what I like to call “comeback guys.”  Players that are still in their prime in terms of age and who have produced monster fantasy seasons in the past, but not the past season.  I like to pinpoint both pitchers and hitters during a draft that were low on the stat chart the immediate year prior, and attempt to draft these guys at a bargain value.

The philosophy sounds obvious.  Many of you may be thinking, Salz, okay post something we don’t know.  But already this year are several examples of players that were drafted much lower than they should have been simply because they had an off year last year.  I feel many owners do not take advantage of this opportunity, and simply look right past guys that have proven themselves in the past to be fantasy giants.  I try to take advantage of this every year, and I believe it to be one of the reasons I’m usually in the thick of the race come August.

The downside is the uncertainty factor.  Most owners feel much more comfortable plugging a last-season statistical giant into their OF spots as opposed to a guy who put up 45HR and 120RBI TWO years ago.  For example, Matt Holliday was a first round pick in virtually every draft this year.  His 2007 numbers were triple crown worthy and he is young with a sky-is-the-limit upside.  At the same time, Manny Ramirez generated a lackluster 2007 platter, plagued with injuries and stunted power.  Naturally, Ramirez drops on owners’ fantasy forcasts, Holliday jumped to the top, and in the end Holliday was being drafted much higher than Ramirez, probably two or three rounds higher as he was in my league.

Currently, Manny is ranked 12 spots higher than Holliday in Yahoo roto leagues, with higher numbers in all offensive categories except stolen bases.  In retrospect, I never would have advocated to draft Manny over Holliday, nor would I have advised to take Manny in the first or maybe even second round.  On the exterior, he looked as if he was in the decline and fantasy owners may never once again enjoy the luxury of Manny numbers pre-2006.  But looking at his 6 April bombs, mid-300 average, and 20 RBI, I’m thinking Manny is back and ready to wreck havoc on the AL.  That BoSox line-up is loaded so you know he’s going to get pitches to hit.  As long as he is allowed to keep his bag of seeds and water bottle in his back pocket as he grazes left-field, fantasy owners may be in for a big and tasty ”comeback guy” treat.

Early Season “Comeback Hitters”

Derrek Lee (Chi, 1B) - I got to holla at our boy DLee and put him first on this list.  He is the epitome of a “comeback guy” as of right now.  After Lee’s gigantic 2005 campaign, he was a highly coveted first-round commodity for all fantasy owners.  The big injury in ‘06 negated his ”savior” status, and he came back down to earth last season with his unsatisfying .317, 22 and 82.  I mentioned in an earlier post that these numbers are solid, but from DLee, we expect so much more after his dirty 2005 tirade.  So what happens?  Owners forget about the 2005 DLee, assume his 45HR capabilities no longer exist, and push him down on the draft board.  Nieve owners overlook the fact that DLee’s now fully recovered, and last season he still felt the lingering effects of a wrist injury, a body part so crucial to the formulation of the power swing.  Mix him into a very potent Cubbie line-up, and Lee is going to kill again and make owners wished they capitalized on this “comeback guy” by drafting him much later than he deserved.  Derrek is the 4th best overall fantasy player right now, and it should stay that way for the remainder of ’08.

Miguel Tejada (Hou, SS) - I’ll admit, I thought Tejada was over the hill and no longer the guy I want representing half of my middle infield.  Add the two extra years he snuck past customs and the steroid allegations, you’re looking at a deteriorating middle-infielder who must rely on speed, agility, and quickness to play his part.  So Tejada is a 33 year-old, possible steroid user who just got moved to the pitcher-favored National League.  Why take him?  Last season, Tejada’s 18HR and 81RBI were his lowest power totals since 1999, and his 7 year-long Iron Man streak was finally snapped.   You could make a case for 10 shortstops that should have been drafted over Tejada.  Now, he trails only Hanley Ramirez and Rafael Furcal in overall fantasy production (.345 average, 44 runs produced).  Judos (Spanish for Kudos) to you Senor Tejada for making us doubters, once again believers.  Even if we’ll never believe another word you say.

Rafael Furcal (LAD, SS) - Like his counterpart Mr. Tejada, Furcal is also bouncing back nicely after his worst offensive year since 2002.  Furcal, at age 30, is not neccessarily old, but for a guy who makes a fantasy impact because of his speed, graduating from his 20s doesn’t add appeal for owners.  After a semi-injury plagued 2007, Furcal has taken the diamond back with authority by already logging half of his 2007 HR total (3) and scoring a whopping 26 runs in 27 games.  He is on pace to steal about 40 bags, a feat he hasn’t accomplished since 2005.  So the fiery shortstop and his middle-aged .381 average look very promising to fantasy owners that probably got him a couple rounds later than they should have.  A buddy of mine looks to draft players in a contract year because they’re more prone to play balls out when they have an incentive like money up in their faces.  My guy was right on target when he drafted Furcal and his expiring contract in the 7th round.

Taking the Mound With Purpose…Again

Cliff Lee (Cle, SP) - Talk about a 180.  Actually, I mean a 360.  This Cleveland southpaw sparked the interests of fantasy owners when he tallied 14 wins in his first big league season, then logged 18 wins and a 3.79 ERA in 2005.  Although down a tad, his 14 wins and 4.40 ERA in 2006 was a nice fix for owners in more competitive leagues.  Overall, Cliff Lee has significant fantasy value up until last year when he got hurt then never got it going all year.  After being sent down the minors, and barely winning the 5th spot in the Indians rotation this spring, Lee is now amid fantasy stardom.  The number one ranked pitcher in Yahoo roto leagues, Lee just had his 27 consecutive scoreless inning streak broken Wednesday night and maintains a MLB-best .96 ERA.  The list goes on.  5-0, .56 WHIP, only 2 walks in 37.2 innings, 32 K.  Cliff Lee has been straight up nasty this April.  It fact, he has been as close to perfect as you can get.  Not bad for a guy who may have gone undrafted in many leagues.

Ervin Santana (LAA, SP) - Not entirely a guy who has completely “done it so well before, dropped off the map, and has come back,” but Santana is on the verge of a breakout year that many experts expected last season.  Still just a young sprat at 25, Santana is known for his electric slide-piece and mid-90s fastball.  His volatile arsenal has never been the issue, but putting it all together consistently has been troublesome for the 4th best overall Yahoo fantasy pitcher.  Santana’s notable 2006 campaign (16 wins, 4.28 ERA) skyrocketed his fantasy value for 2007, but his numbers, not his deuce, dropped off the table last season (7-14 record, 5.76 ERA).  Night and day.  This year, however, the sun has been shining brightly on his 5-0 record, 2.48 ERA and dazzling .98 WHIP.  Maybe this year?

Mariano Rivera (NYY, CP) - Yahoo experts had Rivera ranked among second and third tier closers this preseason because they recognized his declining fantasy numbers in 2007.  In fact, Rivera posted his worst ERA, WHIP and Batting Average Against since he landed the Yankee closer gig in 1997.  Supplement his falling numbers with his age (39) and low 2007 save count (30) and it is reasonable to have Rivera stationed lower on the draft totum pole.  But I could smell Rivera’s comeback stench from a mile away.  This IS still Mariano Rivera, and I am not entirely shocked to see him back as the 2nd ranked closer.  He hasn’t blown a save, let alone yielded a single run.  His .36 WHIP is absurd and he is striking out one per inning.  Do what you do Mariano, I didn’t forget.

So keep an eye on those guys who did it once, and can do it again.  Especially next year before you draft.  It’s the difference between 1st and 4th place.  If you can find the currently underrated, but once highly-rated players who will produce like the first and second rounders, you are most likely going to succeed.  It’s been working for me this year.

On the Horizon

First, the Swag Shop will be opening up Tuesday early afternoon well before the Cubbies’ road battle with Cincinatti.  Come take a look and see what the specials are for the week.

Second, I am dominating my fantasy league right now.  It is sweet.  I feel like I have too many good guys.  Just ask Dan and Ken, I am beating them both.

Third, as a fantasy author (notice how I didn’t say expert.  I’ll wait til Yahoo or ESPN sign me on their staff) I feel like making a couple of predictions.  I would like to elect two players, one pitcher and one hitter, as my fantasy gems for the upcoming month of May. 

Nick Markakis from Baltimore is about to blow up.  The O’s have been playing well, and this kid is the heart and soul of the club.  Watch him creep into the top 25 by dropping bombs, lifting bags, and increasing his average to over .300.

Mark Buehrle, (I know he’s a southsider, but I’m no hater) one of the most patient lefties in the league, will bounce back from his tough start and get his ERA back down into the 3’s by the end of May.  After a quality start last week, and 8 strong innings tonight, Buehrle looks to be settling down and finding his command.  Look for 3 or 4 more solid starts throughout May, once again bringing him back to fantasyland.

See you at the Shop next week.

• —Salz  

Out of the Gates - April in Review (and March 31 too)

The Cubs improved significantly on last years 10-14 start to open the 2008 season 17-10. The Cub hitters have carried the club why the pitching staff (with a few exceptional exceptions) has struggled. The good news is that even though three fifths of the starting rotation, and everyone out of the pen except Carlos Marmol has struggled at times, there are still ten teams that have given up more runs than the Cubs. The most impressive fact about this Cubs team so far is that they have yet to lose three consecutive games.

At the plate the Cubs have been a more patient than they have in the past. Nine of the Cubs have an OBP over .350. Overall, the Cubs have the N.L.’s top batting average (.286), OBP (.375), runs (171), hits (.279), and R.B.I. (161). They are second in Slugging Pecentage (.452), and doubles (62). Conversely their pitching staff is ranked in the middle of the pack for every major stat.

In the first month and a day of the season the Cubs have gone from the “lovable losers,” to loving the losers. With a 12-5 record against teams that are under .500 the Cubs have done what they are supposed to do against the bad teams. Also encouraging about those victories is the fact that the Houston Astros would be an even .500 not counting their record against the Cubs; and the Pittsburgh Pirates would be one game over .500 ignoring their six defeats at the hands of the boys in blue. The Cubs split their games with teams over .500 thanks mostly to a 2 game sweep of the New York Mets. Other than that short series the Cubs were 2-3 overall against the Milwaukee Brewers and the 1-2 against the fighting Phillies of Philadelphia. The Cubs’ sub-.500 record against the Brewers is discouraging because the two teams are expected to fight it out for the division all summer.

The Good

The Cubs’ offense has really clicked especially without Alfonso Soriano. Reed Johnson, was hitting .296 at the end of April and was on-basing at .379 mostly out of the lead-off spot since Soriano went down. Ryan Theriot got off to a hot start hitting .340/.415, he also has 6 doubles, a triple, and a homer through the first month. Aramis Ramirez started slow unable to get his batting average above .250 until April 20; however he is hitting .296 overall and his OBP (.417 now) did not drop below .300 after April second, thanks to 18 BB, and 4 HBP. Ramirez also hit 6 home runs and 9 doubles and 22 R.B.I. Derrek Lee looks to be back to his 2005 form hitting .371/.446 and 8 HR, 9 2B, 1 3B, and 23 R.B.I., Lee also has played his typical Gold-Glove defense. Japanese import Kosuke Fukudome has managed to exceed expectations at .305/.416, 8 2B, 2 3B, 1HR. Fukudome has been credited with helping to change the teams approach at the plate. He has been near or at the top of pitches per plate appearance (4.52) all year and has taken 19 walks on the young season. The most impressive Cub at the plate so far has been Geovany Soto. After a strong end to last season the rookie catcher has picked up right where he left off hitting .341/.424 with 8 2B, 13B, and 5 HR. His most impressive stat however is his 20 R.B.I., the last 6 of which came on April 30 thanks to a pair of 3-run home runs.

On the mound Carlos Zambrano went 4-1 with a 2.21 E.R.A. allowing less than a hit an inning. Big Z appears to have fixed the control problem that has plagued him in the past, so far he has struck out 32 batters and walked only 9. Carlos Marmol has also been dominant so far this year with a 1.56 E.R.A. With 14 appearances through the end of the month Marmol boasts a 23/5 K/BB ratio, and is 2/2 in his limited save opportunities. Jon Leiber has been strong in long relief, saving the rest of the pen when some of the starters struggled early in the season pitching a combined 9.1 innings in his first 3 outings. Leiber has 2.30 E.R.A., and only 2 walks, both of which came April 7, in Pittsburgh. The biggest good surprise of the season for the Cubs has been Ryan Dempster. Demps, has a 4-0 record (the Cubs are 5-1 in games he starts) with a 3.60 E.R.A. The converted closer has 22 strike outs but has walked 19 batters. If Dempster continues to walk hitters he may see his E.R.A. begin to rise.

The Bad

The left-handed starters and Bob Howry. Ted Lilly has been nowhere near the pitcher he was last year. The good news is that his 6.46 E.R.A. is his worst since his first year (7.61) so it is safe to assume that he will begin to move toward his career E.R.A. of 4.51even if he doesn’t get to last years 3.83. Lilly’s problems stem from a slight loss in velocity on his fastball which has made all of his pitches more hittable to the tune of 33 hits and 13 walks through 30.2 innings. Rich Hill has also struggled so far, though not as bad as Lilly. Hill’s 3.79 E.R.A. is not bad at all, however he has thrown a lot of pitches and struggled with his control. He has walked 14 batters through his 19 innings, including a 4 walk, 72 pitch outing in Pittsburgh on April 10. Howry has an 8.10 E.R.A. on the season and has given up 2 runs in 5 of his 14 appearances. Howry is averaging over 18 pitches an outing and has given up 11runs in 12.1 innings. Howry is a fastball pitcher to the point that he throws it almost exclusively, like Lilly, Howry’s velocity is down which is contributing to his slow start.

The Cubs have had little bad at the plate, Felix Pie and Soriano are the only players who have struggled. Pie was a question mark coming into this season, his early struggles combined with Johnson’s strong play has limited Pie to only 50 plate appearences with a .205 average. His 14 strike outs mean he is striking out 28% of the time. Since he has been in the bigs Manager Lou Pinella and his coaching staff have worked to shorten Pie’s swing however the work has yet to pay off. Pie’s swing prevents him from hitting anything off speed or high fastballs with any regularity. With Pie’s considerable speed it would be nice to see him attempt to bunt for a hit but he seems to be intent on being a power hitter. Look for Pie to struggle until he figures out how to shorten his swing and/or use his speed to his advantage.

Soriano’s struggles are not surprising and it is still a little early to be concerned. Just like last year he missed some time in mid-April (last year he missed a week when he left a game on April 16th, this year he went on the 15 day DL on April 16th) and just like last year he was struggling before getting hurt. Prior to the injury in 2007 the Fonse was hitting .245 thanks in part to a 1-2 day in the game he was injured. He had only 1 multi-hit game, 2 multi-strikeout games, and had yet to hit a home run. The biggest problem with his struggles is that he is leading off. The debate on where to bat Soriano has gone on since his arrival in Chicago. The problem with moving him down in the order is the way that he has struggle when not leading off. Here are his numbers based where he is batting in the order:

Line-up spot	At-Bats	Plate App.	BA	OBP	PA/HR	AB/K	PA/BB
1st	2646	2860	.293	.339	18.30	4.59	15.29
2nd-6th	1318	1421	.257	.309	21.50	4.78	17.54
7th-8th	292	300	.304	.343	42.86	4.94	33.33

The numbers show that moving Soriano down is a risky proposisiton, the farther down he bats the less power he has and the less he walks. They do suggest however that if Lou does decided to move him down the Cubs would be best served by batting him seventh or eighth in the line-up. When batting towards the bottom his BA and OBP are better than any other spot in the line-up. While his power numbers where down significantly when batting low in the order he accumulated most of his At-Bats during his rookie year when he hit only 18 home runs.
Overall

The Cubs are off to a strong start at 17-10, much better than last years start. The players who are struggling are generally slow starters and should get back on track over the next month or two. Right now the Cubs’ bats are carrying the team but the pitching needs to step up if the hot start is to be continued.

Cub of the Month: Geovany Soto - Besides his .341 BA, .424 OBP, 5 HR, and 20 R.B.I.; Soto has thrown out 36.8% of runners attempting to steal and allowed only 1 passed ball.

Red Line to Wrigley

Covering All The Bases

By: Dan Biederman

That’s right, Koskue Fukudome, the apple of many Cubs fans’ eyes, graces the cover of the May 5 issue of Sports Illustrated, which hit the mailboxes of subscribers across the country today, and will be available on newsstands next Monday.

SI writer Lee Jenkins profiles Fukudome in his profile of the Cubs new slugger, “Koskue Fukudome Tastes Good.” (The title of the article makes sense once you’ve read the piece, I swear.) A few exerpts:

The fact that Kosuke Fukudome stuck around is making this 100th-anniversary season a whole lot easier to stomach. Instead of picking at old scabs, the Cubs are celebrating a new player who does not know Bartman from Bart Simpson. Fukudome has been a Cub for only a month, but he already gets the loudest pregame ovations at Wrigley Field. Every time he walks to home plate, the organist plays a catchy melody that inspires chants of “FOO-koo-DOUGH-may.” Vendors say his jersey is their best seller, by approximately two to one. He has also spawned a cottage industry outside the ballpark, where you can buy bandanas with Fukudome’s name spelled in Japanese characters or T-shirts with shout-outs such as FUKUDOME IS MY HOMIE. (The Cubs, though, did have to pull one unlicensed T-shirt from the outdoor marketplace because it featured their bear logo with slanted eyes and Harry Caray glasses, over the words HORRY KOW.)

———

Wrigley field has seen plenty of one-day wonders over the years. Most famously, Cubs centerfielder Karl (Tuffy) Rhodes hit three home runs off Mets starting pitcher Dwight Gooden on Opening Day 1994, only to hit just five more during the rest of his major league career. (Coincidentally, Rhodes ended up in Japan, where he’s hit more homers — 412 — than any other foreign-born player.) But Fukudome’s staying power has nothing to do with the long ball. He will never hit as many home runs as Matsui. He won’t steal as many bases as Ichiro. What separates Fukudome is his eye.

From the beginning of spring training Cubs pitchers noticed something odd about Fukudome when they threw him batting practice. He took an inordinate amount of pitches. When games began, his approach was not much different. Most major league hitters, if behind in the count, will swing at any pitch they believe is a strike. Fukudome will only swing at a pitch he believes he can hit. The difference is subtle but significant. “I just try to focus on the pitches I can handle,” Fukudome says. “If it’s an outside strike that I can’t reach, I won’t swing at it. I’ll just say, ‘I’m sorry,’ and walk away.”

Even in Japan, where hitters are well-known for their plate discipline, Fukudome was unusually selective. His on-base percentage over the last three years was .443, .438 and .430, tops in the Central League each season. This spring he tied for the Cactus League lead with 15 walks in 23 games. And this season he has drawn 19 walks in 24 games, seeing 4.5 pitches per plate appearance, second most in the majors.

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Japanese players are often viewed as curiosities by their American teammates. But the Cubs have embraced Fukudome as thoroughly as their fans have. Theriot carries a Japanese-English dictionary. Ace starter Carlos Zambrano wrote his own name in Japanese characters on the back of his cleats. Shortstop Ronny Cedeño choreographed a handshake with Fukudome that includes a bow at the end. Though the Cubs have never had a Japanese player before, several are well acquainted with Japanese baseball. Outfielder Alfonso Soriano began his professional career in Japan. Lee’s father, Leon, played 10 years in Japan before becoming the first black manager there.

The Cubs also appreciate that Fukudome makes an effort. During a bus ride from Phoenix to Tucson in spring training, Theriot sat in the back row of the bus with Mark DeRosa and Daryle Ward, having a private conversation. Fukudome sat one row in front of them. After about 45 minutes Theriot noticed Fukudome typing feverishly into a small keyboard. “I looked closer, and I saw that it was his little electronic translator,” Theriot says. “He was keeping track of every word we were saying.”

Full story available:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/baseball/mlb/04/29/fukudome0505/index.html

Image Credits:
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Red Line to Wrigley: April 26

Joe Smith Doesn’t Like Cubs Fans

By: Dan Biederman

Mets righty Joe Smith had a few choice words for the Cubs fans who were heckling him before a game last week at Wrigley Field. Very professional Mr. Smith, very professional. This is, after all Major League baseball, not a high school game.

Warning: The video contains foul language and an annoying running commentary by a fan

Also, in the video, it looks like it’s a father and his two sons who are doing the “heckling” (most of the fans aren’t saying much in the video clip). I love Wrigley.