The Case For Reed Johnson

With the upcoming return of Soriano, there has been a lot of guessing on the future of the lineup for the Cubs. Sources have said the Lou is going to stick him back into the lead-off spot that he was struggling in at the beginning of the season. I completely hate this idea. Reed has more than filled in for Fonzi, he has earned Center Field and the lead-off position. I have seen great offense, defense and great hustle. Did you see his slide into first yesterday? Soriano is not the future lead-off for the Cubs and should be moved to number 2 in the order. He will see more fastballs and be able to find his groove and maintain it much better from that spot. He is not a Kenny Lofton or Juan Pierre (the best lead-0ff hitters they have had this century). The return of the Fonz should indicate an improvement for the Cubs, not stepping back to where they were before. They have proved that they can play well without him, he should just add to the mix and make them even better. That is, if they handle his return correctly. While we are at it, the Cubs should definitely ride the hot bat of Cedeno for a while. He started off hot two years ago and faded, but as a more seasoned and physically defined player, I believe that he will be able to last even longer into the season. He earned the spot and will only flourish with the chance to be an everday starter with the occasional break. Lou is still going to fiddle with the line-up, but here is how I think it should go down for a while.

1. Reed Johnson CF
2. Soriano LF
3. Lee 1B
4. Ramirez 3B
5. Fukodome RF
6. Theriot SS
7. Blanco C
8. Cedeno 2B
9. Pitcher

This lineup shows a much better balance of power and speed. Theriot and Cedeno can be mixed around between 6 and 8 depending on how they are doing and Soriano could even be moved around and switched with Fukodome on occasion for a little twist. Even though losing a series to the Nats could cause some frustration, it doesn't bother me in the long haul. This next series with the Brewers could really be pivotal and set the tone for future division battles though.

Nationals Shut -Out Cubs, Win Series

We're in 4th!

Five game winning streak pushes the 08 World Series Champion Astros to 4th place. We're number 4! We're number 4!

Even better Valverde pitched a perfect ninth w/ 2 k's.

Lewis Black? Dennis Miller? Pffftttt...

April 29, 1983 - a date which will live in infamy...
Lee Dropping the (F) Bomb...again...and again...and again...

...tip of the hat to Dave Dahl!

Transitive Postulate

1. Cubs are not that good because they have beaten up on the Pirates.

2. Pirates beat the Cardinals.

3. ?

4. Profit!

Let's Get This Ironed Out

I think the bet that was instigated between TEC and Let's Go Astros needs to get hammered out. I think when we left off it was a battle this season for the best offense between the Cubs and the Astros. Why not just go for overall record just to make it more simple. I think the t's need to get crossed and the i's need to be dotted on this one. Money means nothing we are talking sacrifice and public shame for the offseason. I will leave it to the parties involved to hammer out the details but maybe we can get some good suggestions. TEC loves Coors light, chocolate, goatees and Cubs clothing. Let's Go Astros has a penchant for fast food, beards, Bud Light and anything deep fried. Maybe we can get some suggestions for you.

On a side note, TEC just lost a bet to me and shall now be my bitch for the day. I plan on having him wash my truck and perform some yard work while I watch from a short distance. Further chores can be added depending on the execution of the above item. In cas you were wondering, Richard Marx is not the guy who sings the "Real Men of Genius" commercials. As most of us know it's the lead singer from Survivor. Chalk another one up for me.

Hall of Fame

I know it's not directly related to the NL Central, but is still baseball. While watching Sports Center this morning, I saw John Smoltz recorded his 3,000 K. Does that number still mean automatic inclusion into the Hall of Fame? What about 500 Home Runs? With that said, here's some players that may or may not go into the Hall. Should they get in? I've excluded Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds and Mark McGuire as I don't want this to be just about drugs and also some no brainer inclusions like Greg Maddux and Randy Johnson among others.

• Frank Thomas
• Jeff Bagwell
• Craig Biggio
• Sammy Sosa
• Barry Larkin
• Curt Schilling
• Pedro Martinez
• Jason Giambi
• Don Mattingly
• John Smoltz
• John Glavine
• Chipper Jones
• "Pudge" Rodriguez

Who else that's not on this list should be in the hall? I expect Cubs Fans to say Andre Dawson and Lee Smith and I couldn't argue against either of them.

...the 5th RBI was "and the horse you rode in on"

Hey, DEADSPIN!

Ronny Cedeno's bat just called.

It said, "Go f*ck yourself."

How do you say BRAD LIDGE in Spanish???

JOSE VALVERDE!!!

In Dusty We Trusty - Part...oh, whatever...

Look out!

The Reds have called up ex-Cub and HGH enthusiast Jerry Hairston, Jr.!

Let's see if HE can hit that darn truck!

Ahhhh... It's good to be a Cubs Fan!! (Today, anyway)

I was all ready to gloat about the Cubbies being in first place all the way into the late-middle of April, but I was beaten to the punch! Oh, well... The sentiment remains... Cubs Win! Cubs Win! They're playing the Pirates, who couldn't catch a cold in a meat locker much less a baseball, but hey, a win is a win, right? After all, they saying is, "Beat the teams you're supposed to beat." I would say something about that applying to the Cards against the Giants, but I'm better than that, right? ;-)

I'll personally take first place any day. Another old saying goes, "You can't win the pennant in April, but you can sure lose it." I believe that to be very true. That being said, I would worry if I were an Astros-only fan. I like the Astros and will root for them as long as they're not playing my Cubbies or ahead of them in the standings, so I hope that they pull out of the funk they're in and finish second. I would even like to see them win the Wild Card and lose in the NLCS... But that's wishful thinking at this point.

I'm really hating how well the Cards have pitched up until last weekend. I am thinking they can't keep that up for an entire season. If you are a Cards fan, you have reason to hope: You will get three potential starters back during the season. Since it is such a long season, that may be a huge advantage down the road if you can stay in it that long.

I went to the Cards second game of the season against the Rockies. It was my first time in Busch, and it was FREAKIN' COLD! Geesh! To add insult to injury, I wore my Cubs shirt but couldn't take my coat off long enough for anyone to enjoy it, the Cubs lost that day, and the Cards won. If it hadn't been a day at the 'ole ballpark, it would have really sucked. That being said, any day at the ballpark is a good day in my book.

Let's see, I bashed the Pirates and Astros a bit... How about the Cards and their lousy showing to the Giants at home?? What was up with that? Maybe they are reverting to what everyone thought they would be?? Let's hope. If there's one team I don't want to see win, it's the Cards.

Has anyone seen what Prince Fielder is doing over in Milwaukee? No one has. He's hitting like a 12 year old orphan girl in Cambodia. Makes sense since he's eating like one now. He switched to a vegetarian diet, and more than a few pundits think that this is at least a part of his production drop off. My thinking is, "Send this man another veggie burger!" If he wants to hit .220 with 10 home runs all year I wouldn't complain too much. I don't like Milwaukee's team only because I see them as the main threat to the Cubs. So they can, IMHO, piss off! ;-)

It's Monday, but that never stopped me from ranting, did it??? ;)

One more thing: I didn't mention the Reds because I personally like Dusty Baker. I met him in Milwaukee a couple of years ago and got to spend some time with him. He's a BIG guy!! But really nice, and he didn't seem to mind taking the time out of his busy day to take with ordinary folk. You just don't see that much anymore. So he gets a pass from me.

Until next time...

Oh, hey, look at that...

...however, to put things in perspective, the bullet train that is the St. Louis "...and hitting eighth, the pitcher..." Cardinals did run up against the "not as wretched as expected" SF Giants over the weekend.

Brennaman Calls Cubs Fans Obnoxious

Cincinnati broadcaster Marty Brennaman's commented that Cubs fans are "obnoxious." Fans at Wrigley Field traditionally throw the opposing team's home runs back onto the field, but after Adam Dunn connected Wednesday in the eighth inning, they got carried away and tossed 15 balls onto the field. Brennaman said the behavior was "obnoxious" and the type of action that "makes you want to see this Chicago Cubs team lose."

Listen here assclown, you just must need some attention because your job becomes insignificant by the end of May every year. This will probably be your only quotable thought that you are going to see the next decade so enjoy it. In case you haven't figured it out yet, Cubs fans have always been and will continue to be obnoxious. But we are loyal, you might notice that better when you see the customary "sea of blue" when we are playing in Shitcinatti. Also, commenting that it makes you want to see the Cubs lose has no effect, we have been losing for 99 years. Maybe you will get some more excitement in the booth when you get to announce the play-by-play of Griffey's next groin pull. It was a harmless and rather funny sight to see all those balls getting thrown back in. I think that you may have misunderstood what passion is. I know there won't be any Reds fans to come defend "the big red machine" to furthur prove my point. No hard feelings Marty, I will continue to be obnoxious in my passion.
Sweet Lou does come to the rescue.

Weirder and weirder

OK...things didn't get off to a good start when Hunter Pence went through a sliding glass window. I figured it knocked out his ability to hit a breaking pitch. Then Kaz Matsui has extreme hemorrhoids, leading to anal fissure surgery. Makes me wonder if he ran across Schillinger from Oz on some back road in the off season...wait...scratch that...don't need the visual. Now the one Astro I've enjoyed, Miguel Tejada is actually two years older than previously reported. If he's listed at 25 and is actually 27 that's one thing, but listed at 31 and actually 33 is another. Can he can keep up this pace all year? He was an iron man until last year so I'm concerned about his wear and tear. I just wonder what's next? I hope no one ends up on this list, (check out the Manager...awesome!)

2nd NOTICE TO NLC: The Big Z WILL beat you with his stick

The Big Z can - and will - beat you with his stick.

Facing (Former Astro Roger) Clemens

My wife and I got a chance to attend the book release party for our friend, Jonathan Mayo. The book is Facing Clemens: Hitters on Confronting Baseball's Most Intimidating Pitcher. As serious junkies know, Jonathan is the minor league draft guru for MLB.com. But in the book, as the title suggests, he got a chance to talk to a bunch of different guys about what it's like to step in the box against The Rocket. I'm especially looking forward to the chapter on Julio Franco.

Jonathan is genuinely one of the nicest guys you're likely to meet, and (in between shoveling down pieces of Giant Eagle sheet cake), we had a wide-ranging conversation about American Idol, pick-up basketball, The Big Easy, his boy's first day of kindergarten, and my proposed Men's Occasional Night Out (MONO) for the neighborhood guys. We finally got around to talking about the book.

SDM: Is is there a chapter about Richie Zisk?

Jonathan Mayo: No.

SDM: Are there any Pirates in the book?

Jonathan Mayo: Um, no.

You can read an excerpt of the book featuring Torii Hunter right here. And you can pick one up a copy of the book on Amazon via Jonathan's website.

Here's wishing Jonathan the best.

News FLASH! Sophomoric Humor Drives NLC Blog

Cubs' Long Balls Light Up The Night:
Reds Hope To Rebound Utilizing No-Fly Zone

Down Goes Soriano

Here we go again, another year and another start to the injuries.

Soriano ran to catch Ken Griffey Jr.'s fly ball in left-center field with two outs in the Cincinnati first, doing his trademark hop before catching it. As he came down to land, Soriano couldn't put any weight on his right leg, and hopped a few times on his left leg. Shortstop Ryan Theriot helped the outfielder as he hobbled off the field.
"As he was catching the ball, he goes up after it, and he just strained his calf," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. "It's his unique style."
Piniella didn't want to project how long Soriano would be sidelined until he got the test results Wednesday. "Let's get the results tomorrow," Piniella said. "If he's out for an extended period of time, it'll hurt us.

I hate to say it but it's mostly my fault. You see, I like to poke fun of Griffey getting injured all the time and ruining the Reds' season. Well, irony is a bitch isn't it. Let's just say that I think that Griffey Jr. is an outstanding player who gargles from the fountain of youth. I think he will be blessed with eternal health and happiness. I hope that clears things up, if not I will send a blessing from Dave Concepcion.

Much has been made of the Soriano hop that seems to have caused the injury. Sammy Sosa would like you to know that ceremonial celebratory hops "have not been very good to me". Corking a bat is also advised against. I will give an update later after the Cubs get word of the MRI results later today. Let's just hope that Shaun Alexander isn't praying over it right now for a miraculous recovery that will allow his to play tonight. Looks like Matt Murton might get the nod to replace Alfonzi in the meantime. Hey, things could be worse.

Down Goes Soriano

UPDATE:
Soriano went on the 15 day DL with a strained calf, while it's not the best situation it could be much worse. Cubs were able to hold their own and then some when he went down for an extended stint last year. Strangely enough, it is Eric Patterson that was called up and not Murton to fill-in in Fonzi's absense. Could the curse of Corey Patterson travel through the family tree. Stay tuned to find out.

Notice To Rest Of NLC: The Big Z Can - And Will - Beat You With His Stick

Random thoughts while procrastinating about work and waiting for lunch time.

I've got to be honest, I'm worried about Roy Oswalt. Going into the season, he was the only comfort I had in the pitching staff. After watching him Friday pitch batting practice to the Marlins, (they had like four HR's off him), there has to be something wrong. In today's paper he said he feels fine and was working in the bullpen yesterday on some mechanics, such as his arm angle and stride, which the pitching coach says is causing the ball to be flat to the plate. His next start is Wednesday in Philly, so we'll see. I think if there's not an improvement, there has to be something wrong physically. He's always been known as a "gamer", doesn't complain about injuries and pitches through them. Might need to change his tune. He's too good to pitch this bad.

Speaking of pitching, how about Wandy Rodriguez? With the reputation of Minute Maid Park as a hitters park, how does he pitch so well there? Over that past two years he has an ERA of 2.63 at home and 6.41 on the road. So far this season he's following the same trend with a home ERA of 0.63 and 7.20 on the road. Here's a shout out to Ed Wade, the GM. FIGURE OUT WHAT IT IS! If it's he needs some lovin' from his wife before game time, let her travel with the team. Does he eat Chuy's for a pregame meal? Start making large to-go orders. Get's better rest on his home mattress than a Hotel's? Make some intern start lugging the dang thing from city to city. Whatever it is, figure it out and make it happen.

I have been enjoying watching Tejada so far. He's really played well both offensively and defensively. Seems the critics that said he's lost range and was just a roid guy have made him focus and practice harder. It's definately paying off. While he's batting .319 to start the year, I've liked what he's done in the field. Nice diving stops on balls hit up the middle (did you see the double play he and Loretta turned on Saturday?) and a gun from deep in the hole.

Not as much anger from me today. I guess because it's Monday, no one's pissed me off yet and I really don't care much about anything yet this week. BTW - my second favorite team this week is the Brewers. See previous post to figure out why.