Cubs 4th:
Sori now up. Probably his last at bat for the day. He flies out to shallow right. One down.
Fontenot at bat. Flied out.
1-2-3.
D'backs 4th:
Liner out to left. One down.
Young now up. Grounds out to SS. Two down.
Base hit just to the SS. Tough play. Runner on 1st, two down.
Wells gets a third out.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
3rd Inning
Cubs 3rd:
I really hope the Cubs bring Lou back for 2011, and I think they will. Taking the Cubs to the playoffs three times in four years normally would get you in line for sainthood on the Northside, but going 0-6 in two NLDS's doesn't really work in today's Chicago, especially when the Cardinals and White Sox have won the World Series this decade. All signs say that Hendry will re-sign Lou, and I'd be surprised if Sandberg - my favorite Cub of all time, incidentally - wasn't up as a major league coach in come capacity next year - they seem to be grooming him for the future.
Fontenot now up. We really need him to play well this year. MF responds by dropping one over first for a single.
WGN runs a promo which reminds me precisely why I hate the Black-Eyed Peas.
Robinson, a AAA catcher, now up. Robinson pokes one over in the exact same place Fontenot did - good hit. Runner at the corners for Wells. Well-executed hit and run there by Robinson.
Wells up, likely to bunt to eliminate the double-play. Bunt needs to go towards first base. Wells changes his mind and fouls one off. 1-1. This is why I like the NL - there so much more strategy involved in the NL than in the AL. The role of manager involves much more than simply writing out a lineup and making pitching changes. Wells gets down a good bunt. Well done.
The Riot now up looking for some RBIs. This guy has done nothing but win his entire career - college, minors, majors, you name it. He and Fontenot are both LSU products. 1-2 to Theriot after a good slider. Enright is locating really well. Nothing he throws is spectacular, but he knows how to pitch. Theriot goes right up the middle for a base hit, Fontenot scores, Robinson to third. Good at-bat by Theriot.
Kosuke at bat. The Riot may try to swipe second here. Enright seems more concerned with Theriot than Fukudome. Good sign for the Cubs. Fukudome flies out deep to left, RBI. Great to see the Cubs playing some small ball and getting the runners in when they have the chances - they're not trying to hit HRs everytime they have someone on base. Another good sign. Theriot swipes second on the deep fly to left.
Lee now up, runner on second and two down. Lee still having problems recognizing Enrights' slider. I love the way Lee plays - he never seems too worked up about anything, very graceful in the field and at bat. Definite leader of the Cubs.
Len informs us that there are a lot of games at big-league parks this coming week. I consider updating my resume for WGN yet again.
Lee walks, Theriot advances to 3rd on a wild pitch.
Rami now up. This is the situation where Rami needs to produce - he's usually an RBI machine, but he hasn't performed well in spring. But as we all know, spring matters not. Monday is when it matters.
WGN always has one camera dedicated to the 'cute girl cam.' The cute girls are apparently in abundance in Phoenix. I approve wholeheartedly. I consider applying for jobs at the University of Arizona. Then I remember it never rains there and temperatures are 105 in the summer. No thanks.
I'll give Rami this - he never gets cheated on a swing. 2-2. Very interesting power hitter - doesn't strike out much, willing to take a walk, and an RBI machine. Along with Lee, our best clutch hitter. Upton loses the ball in the sun and Rami gets credited for a cheap RBI. 3-0 Cubs.
Byrd rips a grounder to second for the final out.
D'Backs 3rd:
Ramirez, Lee, Byrd, Theriot all done for the day. Starlin Castro, top Cubs prospect, in at short.
Groundout to second - one down.
Wells goes inside and hits Jackson on the wrist - you hate to see that. Hope he's OK. No intent by Wells; two-seamer just got away from him. Jackson will leave the game, but that's to be expected in an exhibition game.
Stephen Drew up. Wells walks him.
Upton now up, looking to make up for his gaffe in the field last inning. Upton is 22 years old - that's scary. The sky's the ceiling for him. Runs well, hits for average, hits for power. Wells has lost his command here. 3-2 to Upton. Upton floats one up to center, Parra is gunned down at the plate by 30 feet. Terrible send by the D'backs third base coach with only one out.
Now two down, runners on first and second, LaRoche up. Grounds out to second. Wells works out of trouble.
I really hope the Cubs bring Lou back for 2011, and I think they will. Taking the Cubs to the playoffs three times in four years normally would get you in line for sainthood on the Northside, but going 0-6 in two NLDS's doesn't really work in today's Chicago, especially when the Cardinals and White Sox have won the World Series this decade. All signs say that Hendry will re-sign Lou, and I'd be surprised if Sandberg - my favorite Cub of all time, incidentally - wasn't up as a major league coach in come capacity next year - they seem to be grooming him for the future.
Fontenot now up. We really need him to play well this year. MF responds by dropping one over first for a single.
WGN runs a promo which reminds me precisely why I hate the Black-Eyed Peas.
Robinson, a AAA catcher, now up. Robinson pokes one over in the exact same place Fontenot did - good hit. Runner at the corners for Wells. Well-executed hit and run there by Robinson.
Wells up, likely to bunt to eliminate the double-play. Bunt needs to go towards first base. Wells changes his mind and fouls one off. 1-1. This is why I like the NL - there so much more strategy involved in the NL than in the AL. The role of manager involves much more than simply writing out a lineup and making pitching changes. Wells gets down a good bunt. Well done.
The Riot now up looking for some RBIs. This guy has done nothing but win his entire career - college, minors, majors, you name it. He and Fontenot are both LSU products. 1-2 to Theriot after a good slider. Enright is locating really well. Nothing he throws is spectacular, but he knows how to pitch. Theriot goes right up the middle for a base hit, Fontenot scores, Robinson to third. Good at-bat by Theriot.
Kosuke at bat. The Riot may try to swipe second here. Enright seems more concerned with Theriot than Fukudome. Good sign for the Cubs. Fukudome flies out deep to left, RBI. Great to see the Cubs playing some small ball and getting the runners in when they have the chances - they're not trying to hit HRs everytime they have someone on base. Another good sign. Theriot swipes second on the deep fly to left.
Lee now up, runner on second and two down. Lee still having problems recognizing Enrights' slider. I love the way Lee plays - he never seems too worked up about anything, very graceful in the field and at bat. Definite leader of the Cubs.
Len informs us that there are a lot of games at big-league parks this coming week. I consider updating my resume for WGN yet again.
Lee walks, Theriot advances to 3rd on a wild pitch.
Rami now up. This is the situation where Rami needs to produce - he's usually an RBI machine, but he hasn't performed well in spring. But as we all know, spring matters not. Monday is when it matters.
WGN always has one camera dedicated to the 'cute girl cam.' The cute girls are apparently in abundance in Phoenix. I approve wholeheartedly. I consider applying for jobs at the University of Arizona. Then I remember it never rains there and temperatures are 105 in the summer. No thanks.
I'll give Rami this - he never gets cheated on a swing. 2-2. Very interesting power hitter - doesn't strike out much, willing to take a walk, and an RBI machine. Along with Lee, our best clutch hitter. Upton loses the ball in the sun and Rami gets credited for a cheap RBI. 3-0 Cubs.
Byrd rips a grounder to second for the final out.
D'Backs 3rd:
Ramirez, Lee, Byrd, Theriot all done for the day. Starlin Castro, top Cubs prospect, in at short.
Groundout to second - one down.
Wells goes inside and hits Jackson on the wrist - you hate to see that. Hope he's OK. No intent by Wells; two-seamer just got away from him. Jackson will leave the game, but that's to be expected in an exhibition game.
Stephen Drew up. Wells walks him.
Upton now up, looking to make up for his gaffe in the field last inning. Upton is 22 years old - that's scary. The sky's the ceiling for him. Runs well, hits for average, hits for power. Wells has lost his command here. 3-2 to Upton. Upton floats one up to center, Parra is gunned down at the plate by 30 feet. Terrible send by the D'backs third base coach with only one out.
Now two down, runners on first and second, LaRoche up. Grounds out to second. Wells works out of trouble.
2nd inning
Cubs 2nd:
Good catch in left retires Rami.
Byrd up, he pops out to first.
Soriano now up, coming off a good game against the Rockies. Naturally, after I speak highly of him, he strikes out.
D'Backs 2nd:
Wells is one of those rare young pitchers who understands exactly how to pitch. He knows he doesn't have the 97 mph fastball to blow people away, so he pitches to contact, keeps the ball down, and gets people out. He doesn't over-think things, he just locates and changes speed very, very well for a young pitcher. I was very impressed with him last year and I hope this year is more of the same.
Wells gets a groundout to first, and then gives up a loopy double over Ramirez at third. Young now up, and he flies out to Byrd in center. Two down.
Johnson, former Brave, now up. I really think if the Cubs wanted to get Big Z to calm down, they just start slipping him some Xanax in his morning coffee. I must admit, though, I like the mean Z - if he would channel his mean streak towards the batters instead of the umpires, I think things would get better for him. Not to be a headhunter, but just to be mean and effective - think Randy Johnson or Clemens, minus the bird-killings or the steroids. Johnson walks.
First and second, two down. Great changeup by Wells, Snyder down on strikes.
Good catch in left retires Rami.
Byrd up, he pops out to first.
Soriano now up, coming off a good game against the Rockies. Naturally, after I speak highly of him, he strikes out.
D'Backs 2nd:
Wells is one of those rare young pitchers who understands exactly how to pitch. He knows he doesn't have the 97 mph fastball to blow people away, so he pitches to contact, keeps the ball down, and gets people out. He doesn't over-think things, he just locates and changes speed very, very well for a young pitcher. I was very impressed with him last year and I hope this year is more of the same.
Wells gets a groundout to first, and then gives up a loopy double over Ramirez at third. Young now up, and he flies out to Byrd in center. Two down.
Johnson, former Brave, now up. I really think if the Cubs wanted to get Big Z to calm down, they just start slipping him some Xanax in his morning coffee. I must admit, though, I like the mean Z - if he would channel his mean streak towards the batters instead of the umpires, I think things would get better for him. Not to be a headhunter, but just to be mean and effective - think Randy Johnson or Clemens, minus the bird-killings or the steroids. Johnson walks.
First and second, two down. Great changeup by Wells, Snyder down on strikes.
Cubs v. D'Backs - blogging yet again!
This isn't an official spring training game (rather, it's an 'exhibition game') but I figured I'd blog it anyway. Mostly because I don't feel like reading about genocide today.
Looks like most of the starters are in today for the Cubs. Robinson's in for Soto, and Randy Wells is the starter. Enright is pitching for the D'Backs.
Cubs 1st:
I'm excited about going to the Cubs' Opening Day for the first time ever on Monday. Getting the tickets, however, has been an absolute fiasco. If you ever get the change, buy tickets from any other company except for Vivid Tickets. Their 100% guarantee of on-time tickets is absolute bollocks. They promise to deliver the tickets to me by 4:30 on Monday. Too bad the game starts at 4:05. Bastards.
During my rant, Theriot strikes out.
Kosuke homered last night - good sign for him. I really think too much has been expected of him. He can hit better than he has, but he's not going to be a Hideki Matsui sort of player - his game is getting on base and making things happen. Fukudome grounds out to second.
Derrek now up. Derrek still not recognizing sliders. 0-2. Derrek lays off two subsequent sliders - 2-2. I think Derrek's one of the most underrated players in the NL - look at his stats over the past 5 years or so. If it wasn't for the fact that he plays in a division with a once-in-a-generation talent at his same position, I think he'd get a lot more attention. I don't think he minds it much, though. Lee swings through a FB, 1-2-3.
D'Backs 1st:
Some of friends and I went to the Florida Gators' baseball game last night against Vandy. It was an amusing evening. First, the UF women's gymnastics team gets recognized for advancing to the regionals in the quest for a national championship. As luck would have it, four of them sit in the row directly in front of my friends and I. The conversation starts out innocently enough - I had one of the baseball players in one of my classes once, and I noted that his grades were less than stellar. He was, however, a nice kid and came to class every day. The conversation turned to one of my friends who had also taught one of the players, and he had, let's say, less than stellar things to say about the athlete. One thing led to another, and sure enough, my moronic friends got the women's gymnastics team at UF to get up and move away from us. This led to those of us who were completely innocent berating the ones of us who weren't for running off a group of attractive and purportedly flexible young women.
Soon thereafter, we are forced to pay for our transgressions. A youngish mother and her 8 or 10 year old come and sit behind us, and apparently the mother figured that her idea of a good Friday night was getting her child hopped up on sugar, not giving him his medication, and bringing him to sit right behind us. This child was reminiscent of a siren with Tourette's. He would yell "ICE CREAM" in what I can only describe as a demonic growl, and I half expected to turn around to see his head spinning around 360 degrees a la Linda Blair and him vomiting split pea soup all over Roger or Jim. In short, his antics wore Roger and I thin and we left in the 7th inning. As we left, who should we see but that devil child fighting other children for more candy tossed out by an Easter Bunny in the concourse. On the way home, I consider driving to Orlando for an immediate vasectomy.
Soriano makes a good catch in deep left for the first out. Tricky play.
Rami makes a good play in foul territory for the second out.
1-2-3 for Wells. Well done.
Looks like most of the starters are in today for the Cubs. Robinson's in for Soto, and Randy Wells is the starter. Enright is pitching for the D'Backs.
Cubs 1st:
I'm excited about going to the Cubs' Opening Day for the first time ever on Monday. Getting the tickets, however, has been an absolute fiasco. If you ever get the change, buy tickets from any other company except for Vivid Tickets. Their 100% guarantee of on-time tickets is absolute bollocks. They promise to deliver the tickets to me by 4:30 on Monday. Too bad the game starts at 4:05. Bastards.
During my rant, Theriot strikes out.
Kosuke homered last night - good sign for him. I really think too much has been expected of him. He can hit better than he has, but he's not going to be a Hideki Matsui sort of player - his game is getting on base and making things happen. Fukudome grounds out to second.
Derrek now up. Derrek still not recognizing sliders. 0-2. Derrek lays off two subsequent sliders - 2-2. I think Derrek's one of the most underrated players in the NL - look at his stats over the past 5 years or so. If it wasn't for the fact that he plays in a division with a once-in-a-generation talent at his same position, I think he'd get a lot more attention. I don't think he minds it much, though. Lee swings through a FB, 1-2-3.
D'Backs 1st:
Some of friends and I went to the Florida Gators' baseball game last night against Vandy. It was an amusing evening. First, the UF women's gymnastics team gets recognized for advancing to the regionals in the quest for a national championship. As luck would have it, four of them sit in the row directly in front of my friends and I. The conversation starts out innocently enough - I had one of the baseball players in one of my classes once, and I noted that his grades were less than stellar. He was, however, a nice kid and came to class every day. The conversation turned to one of my friends who had also taught one of the players, and he had, let's say, less than stellar things to say about the athlete. One thing led to another, and sure enough, my moronic friends got the women's gymnastics team at UF to get up and move away from us. This led to those of us who were completely innocent berating the ones of us who weren't for running off a group of attractive and purportedly flexible young women.
Soon thereafter, we are forced to pay for our transgressions. A youngish mother and her 8 or 10 year old come and sit behind us, and apparently the mother figured that her idea of a good Friday night was getting her child hopped up on sugar, not giving him his medication, and bringing him to sit right behind us. This child was reminiscent of a siren with Tourette's. He would yell "ICE CREAM" in what I can only describe as a demonic growl, and I half expected to turn around to see his head spinning around 360 degrees a la Linda Blair and him vomiting split pea soup all over Roger or Jim. In short, his antics wore Roger and I thin and we left in the 7th inning. As we left, who should we see but that devil child fighting other children for more candy tossed out by an Easter Bunny in the concourse. On the way home, I consider driving to Orlando for an immediate vasectomy.
Soriano makes a good catch in deep left for the first out. Tricky play.
Rami makes a good play in foul territory for the second out.
1-2-3 for Wells. Well done.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
9th
Rockies 9th:
Caridad on for the Cubs in the 9th. 0.00 ERA and 1 walk in 12 innings this spring. He'll be the primary set-up guy for Marmol this year. First batter flies out to Colvin in moderately deep center. One down.
Eric Young Jr. now up. Caridad has a good FB with some movement on it - he's been in the high 80s/low 90s so far. EYJ dumps one over the SS for a single. Caridad featuring exclusively FBs right now - a good changeup or a slider could get us a game ending DP.
Caridad hangs a changeup and it's dumped over the third baseman for a single. First and 2nd with one out and Melvin Mora up. Mora jumps on the first pitch and bounces into a 5-4-3 double play. Cubs win, 2-0.
8th
Rockies 8th:
Jeff Gray now in to pitch. Fireballer we got in the Fox/Gallagher trade. He's been out most of the spring with a groin problem. Throws strikes. It's weird seeing another Cub wear #34. That may take some getting used to.
Fowler walks after I complimented Gray's control. Fitting. Spillbourghs now up, he's 2-3 today. Fowler is a speed demon, so he may be going here, although the meat of the lineup is due.
Len is talking about Spillbourghs' facial hair. I search frantically for a pencil to jam in my ear.
Spillbourghs bounces an infield hit to third; 1st and 2nd with nobody out and Helton up.
Helton way late on a FB. 0-1. Helton flies out and runners hold. One out.
Gomez up for Tulo. Gomez drops a hit between 2nd and RF but Kosuke forces Spillbourghs at 2nd - not much Spillbourghs could have done there. Strange play.
Two down, runner on 1st and 3rd. Jay Payton up. Quickly down 0-2. Payton grounds out to 2nd - Gray does a nice job of working out of trouble.
Cubs 8th:
Speier in to pitch, and Kosuke bounces out to short. One down.
Jackson up. Good prospect, first round pick last year. Jackson hits one high and deep but Spillbourghs catches it at the wall. Misses a HR by about 2 feet. Two outs.
Tracy now up and knocks a base hit to right; Spillbourghs misplays it and Tracy ends up on second. Good heads-up baserunning.
LaHair at bat, and he's a big dude. But he pops out to the catcher and we're off to the 9th inning.
7th:
Rockies 7th:
Samardzija in for Marmol. Colvin in for Byrd, LaHair in for Lee, Jackson in for Soriano.
Samardzija gets a line-out. I think Samardzija's biggest problem is that when he's ahead in the count he often gets too much of the plate. There he was up 1-2 and he grooved a fastball. Lucky that he got an out on that one.
Olivo pokes a single into left. One on, one out, Stewart coming up. Samardzija now out of the game and the Cubs' LH specialist (Grabow) is in to face Stewart. Grabow's a strange lefty - he does much better against righties than lefties. I think he's one of the biggest parts of the Cubs bullpen - if he can consistently get lefties out, then the Cubs are in good shape in bridging the gap to Marmol.
Grabow immediately falls behind Stewart 2-0 with two sliders off the outside corner. Grabow promptly walks Stewart. Poor job. Grabow needs to throw a double-play here to get out of the inning. Two on, one out.
Herrera takes 2 strikes - good changeup for strike 2. Filthy, filthy changeup and Herrera strikes out.
Jason Giambi in to pinch-hit. Grabow grooves an 87 mph fastball and luckily Giambi misses it. That one was belt-high. LaHair makes a nice play to knock down a rope from Giambi and Grabow beats him to the bag. Decent play all around, even though Grabow let an 0-2 pitch get way too much of the plate and LaHair didn't field the ball cleanly - Giambi drilled that ball.
Cubs 7th:
Hill leads off the 7th, super-rookie Colvin on deck. Rockies have a LHP in to pitch now, Joe Beibel. Hill flies out to RF.
Colvin hasn't walked at all this spring. That's amazing. However, he's batting .459 and has 17 RBIs. This kid has mashed all spring long. If I was hitting .459 I don't think I'd look for a walk either. Colvin looks awful on a good curveball and strikes out.
None on, two out. Young SS Hak-Ju Lee up for the first time. Lee pops out to third, 1-2-3 inning.
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