Thinkin’ Cubs

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I’ve been overly jubilant over the last couple of months, but really couldn’t pinpoint the reason why. I just figured it was a combination of a good job, good friends, and good times altogether. Then, while on the phone with a friend today, the words just poured out. The happiness is because the Cubs are leading the league! Isn’t that sick? If the Cubs were floundering with a sub-.500 record, I would probably be selling cocaine to the druggies just to keep myself busy and not pay attention to the North Siders. Let’s just say – I don’t handle losing well. It’s the same drive like when I pick up a new Madden…I learn not to lose (Justin understands my wrath when it comes to Madden and MVP Baseball).

Unfortunately, the nature of baseball doesn’t allow a team to be as dominant as I can be over a video game. And if you’ve paid attention to the standings lately, the Cubs are slipping, and the dreaded Brewers are surging. Even though Milwaukee remains in third place, I still don’t fear the Cardinals at all. Tony La DUI will run out of Budweiser to give his players at some point, and when they wake up with that nasty hangover, they’ll be sitting eight games out of first.

Don’t fear though Cubs fans. It’s part of the natural progression of the world. A team can’t be red hot for six months. It just doesn’t happen.

ALL-STARS:

If you didn’t happen to read our commentary a few days ago, do so first of all. But the cliff notes of what my feelings are on the All Star game can be summed up in two words: &*^%! *@*#&%%@(!^*. Yea…I guess I really don’t qualify as a “fan.” The voting is stupid, the timing sucks, and the fact that it’s played with forced meaning is downright ludicrous – but I digress.

It appears that the Cubbies will have three starters in the game: Alfonso Soriano, Kosuke Fukudome, and Geovany Soto. Soriano will undoubtedly skip the festivities while recovering from his busted wrist, and I would love to see the other two take the days off to rest because they both have some nagging injuries that require any rest you can get them. Carlos Zambrano, Ryan Dempster, and Kerry Wood are virtual locks for the pitching staff, and Carlos Marmol is toeing the bubble with his poor performances throughout the past three weeks. Again, I’d love to see all of those guys skip the festivities and take the game off. Wood and Marmol are among the league leaders in appearances in the National League, Carlos Zambrano will be off the DL for a little more than a week, and Dempster is in the midst of his first full year as a double-digit starter since 2003. So let’s recap: I hate the All-Star Game, and I think the Cubs that are invited to take the high road and miss their plane to New York. Are we clear on this?

Injury Hell:

Every team goes through it, and it’s impossible to avoid. Injuries have riddled the Cubs over the past month and it’s showing. In the last three weeks, we’ve put Soriano, Zambrano, Reed Johnson, Daryle Ward, and Scott Eyre on the 15-day disabled list, and dealt with the day-to-day bumps and bruises of Fukudome, Jim Edmonds, and Ryan Theriot. Dealing with injuries is no fun at all. Ask the Colorado Rockies. They were picked to roll right back toward the World Series this year after a miraculous run at the end of 2007. Unfortunately, devastating injuries piled up one after another, forcing them to play without offensive stalwarts Troy Tulowitzki (also a defensive whiz), Matt Holliday, Garrett Atkins, Willy Taveras, and Brad Hawpe for differing periods of time. The Cubs have lost key components just like the Rockies, but have responded by winning games in other ways. The Rockies lost main components of their offense, and instead of their pitchers stepping up, they crumbled in the thin air of the Rocky Mountains. What have the Cubs done when they lost big bopper Alfonso Soriano? They started taking more pitches, working deeper counts, and getting on-base at a higher clip. The Cubs showed off the depth that have at bottom of their 25-man roster, and at the top of their Triple-A Iowa club that have filled in admirably. But let’s get these wimps back in the lineup, eh?

Aramis Ramirez:

He left for three days (will return Thursday) to tend to “personal matters” down in the Dominican Republic. DON’T…GIVE…ME…A…FREAKING…HEARTATTACK – I’m high strung as it is! “Personal matter???” That can only have about 50,000 different meanings. His brother could’ve been wrongfully accused and thrown in jail, and he’s going down to bust him out Prison Break style. A member of his nuclear family has died, putting his second half numbers at about .150, 4, and 12. He may be going down their to donate one of his kidneys to his third cousin! That kinda crap could zap the power surge I expect from him in the second half. Don’t give me “personal matter” as a freaking excuse. About 24 hours later, we found out he left because his wife was having a baby. WHEW! My blood pressure sailed back down from Sears Tower proportions. Jeeeez man…don’t scare a brother like that. My buddy Derek’s wife just had a baby girl this weekend (Congrats to them by the way — and the winner of our baby pool got nearly $20…damnit – I didn’t win) and ya know what his excuse was for missing work? “Hey guys, my wifes having a baby, I’m gonna take a few days off to be with her and the newborn.” My response: “Ahhh, sweet deal man. Take your time, we’ll see ya when ya get back.” He didn’t say I have “personal matters” to attend to, only fueling speculation in my mind as to whether he was going to drive up to New York and take a shot at one of the Steinbrenner brothers. He told us what was up. Seeeeeee. Not that FREAKING hard!

Cardinals Turning Blue:

I applauded the signing of Jim Edmonds a couple of months ago. They screwed up Felix Pie to the point that he will never become a Major League regular, and the team needed a left-handed jolt to man the center pasture. Edmonds was released by the Padres, and the Cubs jumped. They signed him at the risk free price of the pro-rated minimum contract for the years of service he’s been in the league and slapped him in the starting lineup to see if he’d stick. It took a few weeks, and Edmonds was on the edge of getting the boot when all of the sudden he returned to his pre-injured form. He started staying on the ball more, driving it to the opposite field, and drawing his usual assortment of walks. He’s also solidified the defense by making his basket catches and up-hill dives seem effortless. It’s like we robbed the Jim Edmonds that played for the Cardinals back in 2006! I can’t wait till we play St. Louis on Friday. I’m not sure what the fans are going to do. Edmonds was a great player for the Cards for a number of years, but now he plays for the dreaded Cubbies! Boy o’ boy…I’m just beside myself in anticipation. My prediction: those panzies that call themselves Cardinal fans will boo him out of the stadium.

The Trade Front:

It’s no secret that the Cubs are in search of a difference-making starting pitcher. That statement is a bit laughable, isn’t it? I mean, what team would pass up the opportunity to take a pitcher that has #1 ability if the price was right? C.C. Sabathia is the name that is on the tip of everyone’s tongue these days. The Cleveland Indians have been absolutely dreadful, and are getting buried in the American League Central with an offense that is sputtering like an four banger only hittin’ on three. Sabathia is going to be traded, and the price could potentially be a steep one, despite the fact he’s a free agent at the end of the season. As much as I’d like to think the Cubs are in the race for him, I can’t. The Cubs have exactly zero players that would qualify as a top-30 prospect in baseball, and would seriously demolish their team depth if they traded a package that included a combination of Ronny Cedeno, Sean Gallagher, and Matt Murton. Unfortunately, the team that is the richest in Major League ready hitters (exactly what Cleveland lacks) is the Brewers – who just happen to be in the market for a front line pitcher. Take a look at these statistics of their top players in Double-A Hunstville. Matt LaPorta and Mat Gamel are both considered ready for The Show, and SS Alcides Escobar is only 21 and is a highly touted middle infield prospect. With those pieces to offer, and pressure from the fan base to contend after a late collapse in 2007 – the Brewers could pull the trigger if they only have to give up one of those guys. Other names that may be on the Cubs radar:

Rich Harden: I typed that name while cringing. When healthy, most scouts consider him the most unhittable pitcher in the Majors. Their were two keywords in that last sentence in case ya missed it: When healthy. He’s a good curveball away from landing on the DL, but would make the Cubs a scary opponent in the playoffs if they can line up Zambano, Harden, Dempster, and Lilly in a series.

A.J. Burnett: Again, I shiver. He gets hurt all too often as well, but does have some upside. The price for him wouldn’t be nearly as high (maybe Murton and a pitcher), but he’s awfully inconsistent, and wouldn’t necessarily be a huge upgrade over what they have. I give this one the least chance of happening.

Aaron Cook: The Rockies say they aren’t going to trade him – so I might as well not waste anymore time…

Randy Wolf: The Padres have interest in Matt Murton, and the Cubs need pitching, so it seems destined to happen, right? Not so fast my friends. I revert back to the point of whether or not he’s really an upgrade over what we already have. The Cubs need someone that can pitch in the second game of a playoff series. Wolf isn’t that guy.

Have a happy and SAFE 4th of July everyone!!