Who's Left?
With a win tonight, the Cubs can clinch a winning roadtrip AND
guarantee they'll be ahead of the Brewers when the two teams begin
their series at Wrigley Field on Tuesday. It's a matchup of lefties
on the hill as Ted Lilly opposes Doug Davis. Lilly has struggled
over his last 2 starts (0-1/9.00), but is 4-0 vs. the NL West. Davis
saw his 5-game winning streak end Monday vs. Milwaukee (2.0 IP, 6 R).
Expect to see the newest Cub, Craig Monroe, in the lineup and playing
RF against the southpaw. Monroe was much better vs. LH than RH with
Detroit this year. That acquisition could really pay off as the Cubs
look to improve against LH starters. It was a low-risk, high-reward
signing in that the Cubs didn't give up much and Monroe's track
record says there's a chance he can really contribute. If Monroe can
recapture his '06 form in the final month-plus (and hopefully into
the playoffs) in a new uniform, it could go down as one of the best
pickups of the season for Jim Hendry.
Len
Comments
Bob:
Of the pitchers you caught, which one was the most 'adept' at throwing a curveball in the dirt which would end up headed right for your 'catcher's friend?'
Posted by: Big Blue 52 | August 25, 2007 9:35 PM
Len, I don't know where else to go to find out how I can get a birthday announced on the air so here I am - HELP :)
Posted by: Erika | August 25, 2007 9:47 PM
Bob, Thanks for the great picture in the Cub's dugout after the game at AT&T park on Aug 23rd. It is great to see we all love the Cubs and it great to see what a nice guy you are ! Thanks again, Wes Hopkins,Houston Texas
Posted by: Wes Hopkins | August 25, 2007 10:43 PM
Len and Bob, my little brother is sitting in left field, he just completed his first week of college at the University of Arizona!! It would be so great to see him on Fan Cam...He's in the 18th row near the middle of left field. Seeing the cubs makes him not quite so homesick. Thanks!
Posted by: Stephanie | August 25, 2007 10:51 PM
Erika:
The only way you get a birthday mention is if you are an old member of the cubs, or work on the production crew.
Posted by: Ed Ruff | August 25, 2007 11:06 PM
Tonight's loss to the D Backs 3 to 1 was another Cub failer against lefties. Lilly's performance was teriffic. The game was within reach until Wood came in and did another sub par job. I always hold my breath when Wuretz enters the game. These are not the guys you want pitching with a championship on the line.
Posted by: Vincent K | August 25, 2007 11:39 PM
MONROE LOOKED REAL REAL GOOD VS THE LEFTY 0 -4 WITH 5 LOB GREAT MOVE HENRY./
Posted by: ERNIE TAYLOR | August 26, 2007 6:56 AM
Have you tried lenandbob@aol.com?
Posted by: ShowMeCubs | August 26, 2007 9:26 AM
IF... and I say "IF" we make it to the post season, the team we play in the DIVISION SERIES only has to throw LEFT-HANDERS at us and they win the series. I'm sure the rest of baseball KNOWS what we fans have KNOWN for the past FOUR YEARS. WE CAN'T HIT LEFT HANDED PITCHING. PERIOD. I can't understand how a lineup that has such GOOD right handed hitting struggles against southpaws. Maybe LOU should use as many LEFTIES in the lineup to try and shake things up?????? I sure don't have the answers, but this BLOWS. I watch games sick to my stomach when the other team throws a LEFTIE at us.
Posted by: Lenny C | August 26, 2007 10:44 AM
How was that move low-risk and high-reward? The Cubs are going to lose either Neal Cotts, Will Ohman, or Clay Rapada. Ohman has been a pretty good loogy and Rapada has the makeup of a good loogy. A high probability of losing a major-league quality reliever isn't low-risk. Meanwhile, we have a DeRosa and Murton on the 25-man already, and both can play right and both have stats that say they can mash lefties. Will Monroe be significantly better than either DeRosa or Murton in RF against lefties? So much better that the Cubs should give up Ohman or Rapada? Meanwhile, the Cubs also had to designate Buck Coats for assignment. Buck Coats appears to be ready for a bench role. He plays all 3 outfield positions, hits from the left side, has some speed, and has played shortstop and second base in the minors. He also leads our minor league affiliates with 15 outfield assists. Unless Monroe manages to win a lot of games in ways that DeRosa and Murton can't, it looks like we gave up a left handed pitcher and an okay prospect to get something we already had. This is a strange, strange move. The Cubs never needed more right handed bats; they needed plate discipline.
Posted by: Charlie M. | August 27, 2007 10:56 AM
Hey len and Bob, i know that the central is tight rite now, the cubs have 80 wins, but are only a game ahead of the brewers, and with only 9 games left in the season, i was wondering, when is that game were if the cubs win, they clinch, it has to be coming up soon, but how longer untill we can clinch, what would have to be the circumstances with 9 games left in the season?
Posted by: joe chineworth | September 20, 2007 10:06 AM