Certain Climbers
This Cubs team look like a different club than the one we saw the
first two months. Early runs, tack-on runs, big 2-out knocks, nice
bullpen work, and the last 2 games, quality starts from guys who had
tailed off a bit (Marquis, Lilly) after a great beginning to the season.
The modest goal for every roadtrip should be .500. With a 7-game
trip, you say to yourself, "You have to go at least 4-3 and finish
the first half over .500." But, considering the opponents, plus the
fact that the Cubs will not face the Pirates best starters
(Gorzelanny and Snell), you start to believe 5 wins is very
attainable, if not more. Milwaukee plays the same teams this week,
so my thought is, if you can play a game or two better than the
Brewers, you go into the break 4.5 or 5.5 out and you're in pretty
good shape with a ton of baseball still to be played. And remember,
coming out of the break, the Cubs have a long, 11-game homestand, so
if they play their cards right, they should be able to put some
breathing between themselves and the .500 mark.
Len
Comments
"...play their cards right..."
Given that 3 of the 10 home games after the all star break are against the Cardinals, they'll have their chance!
Posted by: Brad Roehrenbeck | July 3, 2007 2:17 PM
Definetly agree...we should keep winning series..thats all..win series..we have the tools to get by the brewers soon..so we should keep doing the things right..stay with the state of mind...everybody's doing a great job..everybody's giving something..that's the key..i think that nobody in the bench feels like is being left out..so Go CUBS!!..
Posted by: Manuel | July 3, 2007 2:32 PM
Len/Bob:
I was wondering if you could give a good explanation of how the double switch works. I have been a long life cub fan and a baseball fun at that, but I am still unsure of how it works....?
Kevin
Posted by: Kevin Cartwright | July 3, 2007 6:24 PM
In my opinion, the way they are playing now, they have a great chance of winning all the road games before the break, I just hope the starters can hold em off in the first inning!
Posted by: Peter V | July 3, 2007 6:26 PM
Bob i heard you talking about the fireworks there in D.C. I was there last year for the first time. the lincoln memorial end of the long concrete pond is the best place to view them. we are still talking about them even today,if you go,hope you have fun!!!
Posted by: byron cox | July 3, 2007 6:33 PM
why not call Carlos, Marmol-aid? Since he is coming to the relief..
Posted by: Mike Deyerler | July 3, 2007 8:22 PM
Guys...
The picture of Chico on the Cubs homepage matchup for tomorrow is great. My 9 year old daughter came in my office and saw it. Her reply was "Does he play for the Walgreens team?"
You gotta love it!!!
Sweep it up tomorrow!
Brad (and Madison)
Castle Rock, CO
Posted by: brad nesiba | July 3, 2007 9:54 PM
Watching baseball is much less painful recently, that's for sure! Keep up the good work, Cubbies! GO CUBS!
Posted by: Bonnie O. | July 4, 2007 7:06 AM
How long are we going to have to watch Rich Hill fail miserably? He was much more effective before he was getting all the "help" from the coaching staff.
So what if a few guys stole on him, at least he wasn't a complete head case, as he is now. Stolen bases weren't a concern for Maddux and it appears all the tweaking with Hill has ruined his confidence as he has no command of the strike zone at all and consistently misses badly, costing the Cubs almost everytime.
Rich Hill now looks like a joke on the mound. Rothschild must be proud of his work.
Posted by: Angie | July 4, 2007 12:58 PM
And Marmol should be the Marmolator.
Posted by: Angie in Indy | July 4, 2007 1:00 PM
A few times we sat on the steps of the Capitol Building and watched the fireworks with the Washington Monument under them....THAT'S REALLY COOL !
I'd like to see PIN put the pitcher in right field and let a relief pitcher get certain batters out then put the picher back on the mound to continue pitching Like when Hill gave up the grannie, he could have went to right and Billy Petrick could come in and blow fastballs by the guy and strike him out .
GO CUBS
Posted by: dingels | July 5, 2007 9:33 AM
OUR CATHERS ARE WEAK-WEAK-WEAK HILL.157 KILLING ALL RALLIES BOWEN IS NOT A MAJOR LEAGUER. WHY WHY .///
Posted by: ERNIE TAYLOR | July 5, 2007 7:16 PM
That comparison of Rich Hill to Maddux was very appropriate, Angie. But remember, in Maddux's first full season, he went 6-14 with a 5.61 ERA, and I remember a lot of fans thinking that he looked like a "joke" on the mound, too. So don't be too quick to throw Hill under the bus. There are about three dozen other teams who would like to have that "joke" pitching for them.
Posted by: scootk | July 6, 2007 12:08 AM
The Cub's pitching coaches aren't the ones leaving the ball in the FAT part of the plate. That would be Rich Hill's fault. They can't throw the pitches for him. There is no one to blame but him. He's a good pitcher, but I would most certainly take a LONG pause before I mentioned Hill and Maddux in the same sentence.
Posted by: Mitch Jensen | July 6, 2007 8:31 AM