Results tagged ‘ Fukodome ’

Patience is the key

As a team last year the Cubs struck out 1,236 times, good for fourth in MLB. Unacceptable.

Below is a graph of current Cub players, I am excluding Lee who was second on the team last year in strike outs with 100, but adding Pena instead.

PLAYER

STRIKE OUTS

PLATE APPARENCES

Soto

83

387

Castro

71

506

Ramirez

90

507

Soriano

123

548

Byrd

98

630

Fukodome

67

429

Colvin

100

394

Baker

50

224

Dewitt

37

204

Pena

158

582

 

Chicago is going to have to realize the following during at bats:

1.       Whats the situation? Do they need to lay a bunt down, get a sac fly, a hit and run, etc. instead of going up there and just hacking away.

2.       Who’s pitching? What kind of pitches does this pitcher have?

3.       Look for a hitters pitch. Something where they could get good contact on.

I thought when the Cubs hired Rudy Jaramillo he was supposed to be the elite hitting coach out there. Looking at the amount of strike outs the Cubs had last year it looks like I could have done a better job being a hitting coach.

I’m not really worried so much about Castro striking out as much as he did due to his .300 avg. last season, plus he was just a rookie learning the league. However, Colvin was just a rookie too and struck out an alarming 100 times in just under 400 times. If I was Quade I would be more than willing to start Fukodome over Colvin. You would be sacrificing power from the Right Field position, but you get more consistency from that position with Fukodome.

What most worries me is Ramirez, Pena, and Soriano hitting back to back to back. Based off of last season’s numbers the fans will be feeling a good breeze behind home plate during the hot summer games.

5-2

Not a horrible start to the season, pretty much what I expected. Well actually I expected 7-0. I think we could blame Neil Cotts for the Cubs two losses. I’ll boo the hell out of him tomorrow.

 

Soriano has been on fire, four homeruns this season in 32 at bats. Ramirez has been pretty solid as well. However the most surprising player in the first week of the season has been Fukodome, where the hell did he come from? Honestly going into the season I expected him to lose his starting job to Reed Johnson. By the way, did anybody see Johnson’s game saving grand slam catch over the center field wall in Miller Park? Wow.

 

Speaking of “wow” moments Ted Lilly almost threw that no hitter yesterday against the Colorado Rockies. I think I may have jinxed it. I texted my buddy letting him know it was the seventh inning and Lilly was throwing the no-no. Yep, then he gave up a base hit. It ok Lilly, I’ll blame that one on myself.

 

Hmmm..what else.

 

Oh yea, did I say that Cott sucks? Nope, I didn’t so I’ll say it. YOU SUCK COTTS.

 

Good news is that Soto will be back in the starting behind the plate tomorrow. Hill did a pretty good job backing up the All Star, Rookie of the Year catcher. Surprising Hill batted .300 in Sotos absence.

 

Almost forgot. YOU SUCK TOO LEE.

 

Bradley will probably be out of the game tomorrow, strained groin or something like that.

 

Once again Marmol SHOULD be closer. I know in earlier entries I wanted Gregg, but I didn’t realize how crappy he is.

 

I won’t be sitting in my regular seats for tomorrows game, my uncle has those. I was able to pick up some upper deck tickets though, should be a good one.

 

*Side note, I read that a cat apparently walked into the Mets new ball park, Citi Field. If anybody knows the history of the ’69 Cubs, a black cat walked past Ron Santo. The Cubs had a huge lead in the Eastern division that year, and from then on out the Cubs slumped and the Mets went on to win the World Series. I don’t believe in curses and all, but hmmm, maybe karma will work things out.

Counting my chickens

The eggs have hatched. Basically it’s time to talk about who should be starting game one of the playoffs for the Chicago Cubs, either Carlos Zambrano or Jake Peavy. Two things: we will get Peavy this season from the San Diego Padres, and the regular season is basically over. The Cubs will win the division by at least 15 games, so why do we even have to play the first 162?

 

I guess the one thing to look forward to tonight’s opening game is for Zambrano to prove to the Houston Astros that the Astros really do suck. After all that moaning and whining last season in August when Zambrano pitched the no-no to them was pitiful. I heard a lot of “well that’s because we played in Miller Park” and a bunch of “wah, wah wah” from the Houson fans. Well we’ll see if the Astros will get their justice on opening day, doubt it.

 

In all seriousness though if the Cubs don’t win the World Series this year then the season is a failure. The Cubs window is closing with an aging team, and if they can’t do it this year, then I don’t even know, it’s a bout a two year time span left in the window.

 

One thing I do know is that Rich Harden better step his game up. Harden has looked horrible all of spring training. I think he still may be pitching injured. Fukodome and Lee also better stop playing with a tampon under their jockstrap.  

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