Len & Bob's baseball blog

Alright... with the CUBS history of listing players as "day to day", does this mean SORIANO is out for the year????? Cause if he is.. there goes ANY hope of winning the Division.

why cant kendall throw any body out.//////

I don't know about you Len & Bob, but I sincerely hope that until Will Ohman and Ryan Dempster can start getting guys out consistently, they suspend the horseplay in the clubhouse. I know I would feel guilty knowing my ERA was over 5.00 and I'm still acting like a 9 year old and leaving shaving cream bombs in guys sneakers. Isn't it about time these guys grow up, throw strikes and act like major leaguers and get guys out? Maybe the Iowa Cubs clubhouse could use some pranks.

Yahoo sports is reporting Soriano's out 2-4 weeks. While this is certainly a blow to the team, I still think they have a great chance of winning the division.

I don't know how Lou'll play it, but DeRosa can play right, and Jacque or Clif should be able to play left, with Fontenot at 2nd.

If Mike can hit the way he did when he was first called up, the offense should be ok, with the pitching intact (especially after Kerry's positive outing tonight). And the Brewers are still scuffling, and very beatable.

GO CUBS!!!

I know he's a good guy who's just down on his luck, but we need to unload Will Ohman for our mutual benefit. He's not getting any better in a Cubs uniform, and he keeps killing momentum. He's managed to put two games (which the Cubs were coming back in) out of reach, possibly costing us those games plus the extra "swagger" we would have gained from the come-from-behind wins.

As I said...nice guy, but I think he needs a change of scenery.

Yea, Eddie Veder was cool...now more important things...with Soriano out bat Theriot leadoff followed by Fontenot, Lee, and Ramnirez; play Murton back in left-field with Jones, Floyd, and Pagan...whoever can get hot...call Pie back up for defense. He is the only player who can catch the ball in Wrigley besides Soriano. DeRosa can rotate in the infield with Fontenot...(because Derosa is no outfielder). Hopefully, Soriano can get healed up by September...Labor Day weekend series with the Dodgers. Kendall is really starting to make contact and he works well with the Cubs pitching staff. He is starting to heat up offensively. Good deal for the Cubs to pick him up. Go Cubs!

With Soriano now out for at least two weeks, and likely to make his first career trip to the disabled list, Hendry is going to be awfully tempted to call up Pie. But is adding another outfielder to the mix really going to make up for the loss of Soriano in the lineup? And losing Soriano, we're really talking about offense, right? Even with Soriano out, the Cubs have Murton, Jones, Floyd, Pagan and DeRosa to play in the outfield. Four of those guys have done a good job of getting on base, and Jones is starting to turn it around now too. Playing DeRosa in the outfield more also allows you to play Fontenot at second base more often.

One area where the Cubs have not gotten much offense is Catcher. Kendall has started to get some hits lately, but adding Soto to the mix has more potential to help out our offense than adding Pie in the outfield. Soto has an OBP over .400 and slugging over .600 and has hit 19 HRs in Iowa. Last I heard, he was leading the Pacific Coast League in OPS. Also, he is supposed to be an above-average defensive catcher. Add Soto to the 25 when Soriano goes on the DL, and play this lineup most of the time:

SS Theriot
2B Fontenot
1B Lee
3B Ramirez
LF Floyd/DeRosa
Rf Murton/DeRosa
CF Jones
C Soto/Kendall
Pitcher

That lineup will mix and match our lefties and righties much better than our current lineup does, has three OBP guys out the top, and doesn't look too bad at the bottom either. You really don't sacrifice much defense as compared to a lineup with Soriano in it.

Think about it guys. Soto may be able to help us more than Pie. Pie is more likely to take playing time from Murton, Floyd and Fontenot, all of whom look like they will hit. Soto will give Kendall more rest and take time from Koyie Hill, who I like, but who hasn't hit.

I agree with Ernie Taylor, Why can't Kendall throw anybody out, block balls, or call a game? In all fairness he is hitting better, but that's about it. I think part of the reason the cubs pitchers aren't getting consistent strike calls from the umpires, is because Kendall can't fame the pitches.
Kerry Wood was about the only bright spot in an otherwise disappointing performance in Sunday's game
Why was Soriano trying to stretch out that hit? It would have been a very close play at third, the ball was not hit that deep.That's it!!

Better question ERNIE... why can't CUB PITCHERS hold anyone close????????? Our CATCHERS have had NO CHANCE.

I didn't understand why Sweet Lou moved Floyd over to left and brought in left-handed Fontenot. I thought for sure Murton would have got the call in that situation.

Nice job by Tom G and the Mets.We won't be seeing any 300 game winners anymore. May-be the UNIT but that's about it.Sorinos has been hot and cold, I really don't think the whole season is lost. Derosa can play right,Floyd in Left and Font @ 2nd base.I'd like to see Font lead-off and Theroit bat second and see if they can get on base more often then SOR did(or we could bring back PIE for left)but I see the Cubs ending up in first place.Erine is right though,the other teams are stealing on us and we don't even try to throw them out ? ?
GO CUBS GO

While it stinks we dropped that series against the Mets, I'm a little relieved we got outta last week at 3-and-4....going 50% against the Phillies and the Mets is decent, in my book. Now we gotta pick things up this week -- Houston should be manhandled, and we can take the Rockies too.

(On a side note....Brad, have you EVER posted ANYTHING positive?? Just wondering.)

On a similar note, I'm getting sick of all the damn booing again. I still think real fans don't boo, and no one will ever convince me otherwise -- but it's more than that. People seem to be booing anyone and everyone who may have made some mistake at some point recently. Ohman walks a guy? Boo! DeRosa misses a play at second base? Boo! Jones strikes out? Boo! I was at Saturday's game, and people booed Jones every time he came up to the plate -- even after he was 3-FOR-3 to that point!! WHY??? What is wrong with you booing people?? I just don't get it. Do you expect perfection, every moment of every day? They've played pretty darn well the past 2 months, in case you hadn't noticed....whatever happened to supporting the team (when they're doing WELL, no less)??

That being said, we need a true closer. And no, I'm not bandwagon booing him like so many are -- I've been saying it for the past year. I like him, he's a great guy, and a good pitcher -- but NOT closing material. He had one good year filling in as a closer on an emergency basis, and he was suddenly a true closer? No. This is the one area I'd like to see Jim make something happen -- but only if there's a good deal out there to be had. Howry and Marmol are both better closer material, so if there's nothing good out there, I think just a change in the bullpen rotation can be made, especially now that Woody's back.

Brewers are in panic mode, you can see it....they did come up with a couple good victories this weekend, but the chinks in their armor are showing. Let's move in for the kill!!

does lou have something against matt murton ? evev when soriano got hurt he still did not play matt. he was our starter last year and is are future in the outfield. please explain why he dosent get the playing time. I think its wrong for lou to treat him this way !!!!

It was just another tough game for the Cubs. It just seems like they've lost their late-inning "magic". I was hoping they would have at least tied it so that Glavine would've gotten a no decision (what's with all the milestones against the Cubs?)

I hope Soriano can be back as soon as possible, as I feel that without him, the Cubs may struggle a bit. He was a great lead-off hitter, and has made excellent moves in the outfield. I hope that he can come back near 100% and even hit a few homers. It seems like he's gotten in a bit of a slump lately.

Why not or when will Marmol be the closer? It seems his middle relief is being wasted.

Ronny Cedeno batting 2nd? He shouldn't be in the lineup. Kendall is a prototypical 2 hitter.. that's who should bat 2nd with Soriano gone.

I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOOO TIRED of not getting ANY production from JONES and FLOYD. This has gone on long enough. Back to that same old crap last year, bags juiced, leave em' stranded. We get ONE when we SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN 5 or 6. It's back to the PEPTO for me.

Hello there gentlemen, I am from Kenosha Wi. I have been a life time cubs fan but I am also a GB packer fan. I catch all sorts of flack from other cubs fans because the majority of them are bear fans. I have to say these fans are "Un Bear able". It goes the same with the brewer fans. I have admit my love for the packers and the "Un Bear able" fans have almost convinced me to make the switch. But by the time that April rolls around my feelings switch. Why is so hard to be a Cub/Packer backer?

Can SOMEONE please acknowledge the error ESPN announcer Jon Miller made when he ignorantly assumed Cubs fans were on their feet for Mets pitcher Tom Glavine when they were REALLY on their feet for Kerry Woods long awaited comeback!!!!!! GRRRRRRRRRR!!! I waited 2 years for that?!! Gosh, how I wish WGN had carried that game! It brought me to tears...besides that, they didn't even show his first pitch! Horrible! Awful! But at least he had a decent frist inning back...COME ON KERRY WOOD...YOU CAN DO IT!! WE BELIEVE!!! :)