Team To Beat
The Cubs are in the middle of what I would call an important week in that they play the other top teams in the NL Central, Milwaukee and St. Louis. With the Cardinals winning earlier today, the Cubs find themselves a half game out of first. Milwaukee is one game behind the Cubs. I know it's still way too early to make any predictions, but hey, that's the what the blog is for! Which team in the Central do you think will provide the biggest challenge to the Cubs this season? Hey, maybe it's one of the other three teams I didn't mention. My choice: Milwaukee. I think the Cubs are the team to beat, but the Brewers are good and probably won't let the Cubs just run away with it.
Len
Comments
Hey Len, Disney World is the 2nd happiest place on earth, Wrigley is the 1st. Will you guys be on the Dec. trip? It sounds like it could be fun!
Posted by: Julie | April 30, 2008 8:03 PM
first, i am so angry that i cannot watch the cubs game when broadcast on espn. why is this the case? every game is sold out, so it can't benefit the owners or the players. i payed well over $500 to be at opening day! and cubs fans throughout the chicago and illinois area are deprived of seeing their own team play - especially against the rival brewers!!! - just because espn is broadcasting the game??? unreal...
second, when are we going to get the bullpen situation figured out? howry cannot be relied on in tough situations anymore. starting pitching is at 40% effectiveness (dempster and zambrano). lilly seems to be pitching like a middle reliever - effective for 3-4 innings but not beyond. rich hill should be back in the minors to mature. how can this team play to its potential offensively if the pitching can't be regularly effective?
Posted by: kurt hansen | April 30, 2008 8:12 PM
len i agree with you that the brewers will be the hardest team but i thing st. louis will hang aroung all season
Posted by: moshe | April 30, 2008 8:22 PM
Len & Bob,
Please do me a favor and help promote proper "W" flag etiquette. I don't care what the score is in the game, no one in the stands should show their "W" flag until the final out of the game. I have been at a few games, seen the "W" flag when we had a lead, only to see it go away.
Also, please alert the truck not to favor crowd shots with the "W" flag out. I cringed watching Soto's home run going to a "W" flag.
Posted by: Tom | April 30, 2008 8:58 PM
Hi Len,
I've decided that I should at least see the Cardinals play before I decide which team will be the biggest challenge. On another note, as I am watching the Cubs trounce the Brewers through the first 4 innings (12-1), a question came to mind. How many runs have the Cubs scored this season with 2 outs? It seems that whenever I'm watching or listening to a game, I hear someone on the Cubs hustling out a play to keep the inning alive. Then the next batter comes up and gets an RBI, or they string together a couple of hits. I love it! Go Cubs!
Posted by: Kevin Wadycki | April 30, 2008 9:10 PM
Hey guys,
I agree with the previous comment about the blackout rules. I live in Illinois and don't get WCIU. The game was also broadcast on ESPN, but when game time hit, they switch over to ESPN News. This is a lousy way to treat fans of the game. I pay good money for cable and the game should have been available for me to watch. Instead, I had to listen to Geovany Soto, The Soto-Rooter, hit his 2 bombs on the radio. While Pat and Ron are fun to listen to, I'm really cheesed I had to miss seeing this game on my TV. It's not every day a team scores 19 runs and it would have been nice to have seen it.
But I got to hear a great story Pat told in the later innings, so I guess it was worth it.
Here's hoping the Cubs have some offensive firepower left over for the rubber game today and the series with the Cardinals this weekend.
Posted by: LoserPoet | May 1, 2008 8:40 AM
Depending on how the Cubs-Cardinals series go, I've got to say that the Cardinals will be the challenge. They're pitchers have been lighting up the field and I think that one major injury of Ben Sheets or Prince Fielder or Ryan Braun could prove to slow the Brewers down quickly as Sheets' injury did last year. The Cardinals appear to have a deeper team than originally thought. However, if the Cubs prove to play well against the Cardinals again this year, then my worry quickly becomes the Brewers. The Pirates and Astros, I think, have a few more steps before they truly are able to compete again in the division and the Reds may surprise everybody with a good season, but I think they're just a few moves away from stealing the show.
Posted by: Casey | May 1, 2008 9:11 AM
When are the Cubs going to learn that Kerry Wood is just not the pitcher he used to be. It's time to get rid of him - send him down to the minors. They should have kept Prior. He was the better pitcher anyway. What an embarrassing loss to the Brewers on Thursday night! It should not have happened.
Posted by: Barbara | May 2, 2008 8:29 AM
Wood has blown three saves, but his WHIP is 0.87, which is second on the staff to Marmol. In fifteen innings, he's only given up ten hits and three BB's. You don't send your second best pitcher to the minors.
Posted by: Dan | May 3, 2008 10:46 PM