Designated Winner

It's really good when players know their role on a team and then when their time comes, they fulfill it perfectly.

Alex Gonzalez is the Cubs' designated walk-off home run hitter. He hit his second in a week and third game-winner of the year, as the Cubs came back after blowing a lead to beat the Cardinals 3-2 in 10 innings today.

It's the third 10th inning HR for Alex this year (all in the last 10 days), and fifth walk-off (group-huddle-and-jump) home run he's hit at Wrigley Field since joining the Cubs last year.

This home run disguised the fact that the bullpen blew a lead for Kerry Wood, something he was used to last year when they blew no less than seven leads for him; that Corey Patterson ran the Cubs out of two different innings; and that the ballclub will be without the services of Sammy Sosa for two weeks as he is now on the DL with toe problems. This goes a long way toward explaining why he's not been hitting -- clearly, with foot problems, he hasn't been able to push off properly, and I think going on the DL is exactly the right thing, because trying to play your way through this could possibly lead to worse problems.

I totally disagree with calling up Todd Wellemeyer, a relief pitcher, to replace him on the roster. True, the Cubs have no days off for 19 days. But right now the starters are throwing well enough that there's hardly enough work for 11 pitchers, much less 12. It also reduces Dusty's flexibility off the bench, something he usually likes to do -- look at today, for example, when he did two different double switches.

I do agree with Dusty finally putting Mark Bellhorn in the leadoff spot. According to published reports one of Dusty's fishing buddies had to point out to him that Bellhorn had success there last year. Now, after Bellhorn went 0-for-4 today, let's hope Dusty gives him a few more days before he gives up on this idea.

May weather can be so variable -- I could not decide how to dress today. The forecast was for sunshine, temps in the 70's, and storms late. So instead the Weather Channel radar showed storms coming around gate-opening time, to last an hour or so. It was in the 50's. So I put on the following: t-shirt, shorts, sweatshirt, sweatpants and jacket. I used all of them; by 12:45 it was sunny, though only about 65, not 75 degrees, though it wound up being warm enough to wear the shorts. I also wound up wearing all the stuff back home, mostly because it's easier to wear all the stuff than to carry it.

I also bought a new cellphone today. No particular reason, just felt like it. Unfortunately, since it wasn't the same phone I had before, I had to input all my phone book numbers manually.