In Tribute
On a night when many players and some entire teams -- nine of them -- honored the legacy of Jackie Robinson by wearing his retired number 42, Derrek Lee, who you see above (along with the Reds' Ken Griffey, Jr., also wearing 42), smashed a three-run homer in the fifth inning, bringing the Cubs from behind (they trailed 3-2 at the time), had two other hits, and sparked a 9-5 Cub win over the Reds, their eighth win in their last eleven games after starting the season 0-2.
That one felt good, although the wind howling out at 20+ MPH didn't feel so good once the sun went down. None of the three Cub homers -- by D-Lee, Mark DeRosa and Ryan Theriot -- needed any help from the wind, though. It wasn't just home runs, either -- in addition to the three HR, the Cubs pounded out 11 other hits, drew three walks and in general, had a fine offensive day. I hesitate to say so, but D-Lee's starting to look as he did in his great 2005 season -- and is now tied for the league lead in HR (5), three off the lead with 12 RBI, 2nd in SLG (.737) and 3rd in OPS (1.159).
Also "offensive", in a different sort of way, was an injury to Alfonso Soriano after one of his "bunny hops" on catching a routine fly ball. His former manager at Washington, Frank Robinson, predicted this would happen:
Soriano, an infielder until the Washington Nationals converted him to the outfield in 2006, has done the hop since making the switch, and his manager then, Hall of Fame outfielder Frank Robinson, cringed when he watched it -- but was reluctant to try to break him of it.
"I kept saying one of these days he's going to go up there and it ain't going to be there," Robinson said last fall.
Soriano had a MRI last night on the leg and may be headed to the DL. (Which, I suppose, will please those of you who are Soriano bashers. However, please remember the Cubs would likely would not have made the playoffs without his performance last September.) I presume Matt Murton would be recalled from Iowa, though it could also be Eric Patterson (since Patterson can play more positions than Murton can, and hits lefthanded). The Cubs may mix-and-match lineups while Soriano is out, but even what they did last night -- move Mark DeRosa to LF and play Mike Fontenot at 2B -- might work on occasion. They could also play Patterson in LF, or Patterson in CF (if it's really decided that Felix Pie has to go back to Iowa, and he looked pretty bad last night, even as the rest of the team was smacking the ball around the yard) with Murton in LF. I suppose also, that the calls to sign free agent Kenny Lofton may begin again.
There are worse ideas. We'll see. I also hope that if Soriano is out, Lou will entertain the idea of leading off with Kosuke Fukudome, who seems ideally suited for that spot, with his excellent plate discipline. Anyway, once Soriano does return (presuming he does have a DL stint ahead), let's hope someone convinces him to stop hopping.
Ryan Dempster threw a pretty good game, though a defensive lapse by Carlos Marmol cost him a "quality start" -- Marmol inexplicably threw to 2B in an ill-advised attempt to get Corey Patterson (who was booed every time he came up, as was Dusty Baker when he made two pitching changes. That's all I have to say about that). Hey Carlos: when the other team gives you an out, take it! Instead, the bases wound up loaded, and when a run scored on a force play, that left Dempster, who left with nobody out in the seventh, with four earned runs. Marmol, however, recovered to get an inning-ending DP, and then threw a strong eighth, striking out the side and hitting 97 on the ballpark speed meter. Would you have guessed that after 13 games, three pitchers would be tied for the team lead with two wins -- and the three would be Dempster, Jon Lieber and Kevin Hart?
Ken Griffey, Jr. hit his 595th career HR and then (photo above) shared some laughs with bleacher fans in RF who were heckling him. The Reds' Joey Votto finished the five-total-HR barrage last night by homering off Michael Wuertz (hey, what's up with that? Suddenly, Wuertz seems eminently hittable), and when Wuertz followed that with a walk to Paul Bako, Kerry Wood was summoned to finish up, even though it wasn't a save situation. Kerry threw 15 pitches (12 strikes), so ought to be available tonight (even though he was up two separate times to warm up; he'd have come in to start the 9th had Theriot not homered to make a 7-4 lead a 9-4 lead).
We were joined last night by BCB readers Sarah Hope (who recently moved to the Chicago area from Cincinnati to take a job with the Schaumburg Flyers) and some co-workers, and also BartlettBob (who says he rarely posts, if you haven't seen his name much). They gave out knit caps last night -- they were needed. It's supposed to be warmer, but just as windy, tonight, so expect more balls to leave the yard.
Click on photos to open a larger version in a new browser window. Photos by David Sameshima
0 recs |
285
comments
Read Related
Comments
Cubs won't miss the $136 million man
Great win last night. Ryan Dempster is pitching like the # 2 starting pitcher everybody insists this team needs. Very impressive.
Once again Mark DeRosa is doing everything well. A consummate professional who can flat out hit and who does all the little things. Oh, and he’s versatile too. Where would this team be without DeRosa? I don’t want to know.
by MDBNIU on Apr 16, 2008 8:50 AM CDT 0 recs
First off...
...just about anytime a starting position player goes on the DL, something suffers. Maybe it opens a door to Murton or Patterson, but they aren’t nearly as proven as Alfonso. And just because Soriano is slow out of the gate doesn’t mean he isn’t valuable. I think we will miss him.
Second, I love that shot of Griffey. One of my favorite players. I really wish he wouldn’t have been injured so much, he’d be shooting for 700 or 800 homers right now, not 600.
Dan
Evey Hammond: Vi Veri Veniversum Vivus Vici. V: By the power of truth, I, while living, have conquered the universe.
by dtpollitt on
Apr 16, 2008 9:00 AM CDT
up
0 recs
There's no doubt...
... Griffey would have at least 100 more HR if not for all the injuries. His career has been marvelous nevertheless.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
by Al on
Apr 16, 2008 9:09 AM CDT
up
0 recs
amen
If griffey had stayed healthy we would be talking about him breaking the all-time HR record.
---AC 00 00 00 - Believe
by mjk83 on
Apr 16, 2008 9:11 AM CDT
up
0 recs
Great baseball player
One of the greatest of all time. And he did it the right way in an era of cheaters.
by MDBNIU on
Apr 16, 2008 9:14 AM CDT
up
0 recs
You and I don't often agree.
But we do on this, 100%.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
by Al on
Apr 16, 2008 9:20 AM CDT
up
0 recs
How do we know?
See your comments below about Soriano.
"Don't think; it can only hurt the ball club."
by Jesse Guam on
Apr 16, 2008 9:50 AM CDT
up
0 recs
Agreed...
I like Griffey, and I certainly hope he was/is not a juicer. But in this era, you just can’t confidently say that ANY player was/is clean. Paul Byrd should be living proof of that.
by SouthernCub on
Apr 16, 2008 9:52 AM CDT
up
0 recs
Actually
It seems like the list of people caught juicing includes a lot more people who don’t look like they have (Byrd, Jason Grimsley, etc), than players we all assume have been.
"Don't think; it can only hurt the ball club."
by Jesse Guam on
Apr 16, 2008 10:10 AM CDT
up
0 recs
One of the greatest ever to bless baseball
with his talent, grace and class….I think Griffey is the best pure LH hitter since Ted Williams, who was the undisputed best…...
by crazymountain on
Apr 16, 2008 9:58 AM CDT
up
0 recs
Griffey's a terrible tipper
I know from experience. A tremendous talent, but not so good when it comes to taking care of the little people.
by mexicubsfan on
Apr 16, 2008 1:41 PM CDT
up
0 recs
Interesting. Care to elaborate?
Nanika Ga Okoru!
by dat cubfan daver on
Apr 16, 2008 1:53 PM CDT
up
0 recs
Elaboration...
During high school, I was working at a minor league baseball stadium when the Mariners came to town for an exhibition. I was the clubhouse manager and Griffey had me running all over the place – he wanted a fountain soda instead of the cans we had in the clubhouse already, etc. He was cordial about it, and I was too startstruck to mind, but I didn’t really have time to help any of the other players.
When the team left, guys like Jay Buhner and Bobby Ayala – neither of whom had requested anything of me – sought me out and gave me $50 a piece, which I hadn’t expected, and just about everyone gave me something. Even Lou pitched in, although I hadn’t made it to the manager’s office.
Griffey was one of the few people who walked right by without giving me a dime. I didn’t think too much of it, but after talking to some of the other people in the organization, the consensus was that this was his m.o. Hopefully he’s changed his ways as he’s grown older.
by mexicubsfan on
Apr 16, 2008 2:20 PM CDT
up
0 recs
Wow, thanks!
Interesting story—and a fairly surprising one, as Griffey appears to be one of the nicer guys in baseball. I hope he’s gotten a little bit more generous with age as well. Thanks again for sharing.
Nanika Ga Okoru!
by dat cubfan daver on
Apr 16, 2008 2:25 PM CDT
up
0 recs
I agree the Sori injury is not a positive
But out of all the “big name” Cubs players – Dome, Lee, Ramirez, Zambrano – I think his absence will hurt the team the least, especially if Murton can perform well in left.
by SuperContext on
Apr 16, 2008 9:20 AM CDT
up
0 recs
Dempster had some control issues last night
But, all around, he pitched a pretty darn good game with the wind blowing out. I think he walked Adam Dunn twice… I don’t know if he was pitching around Dunn, but Dunn’s is a pretty good strikeout candidate.
Cubs 2008 (8-5)
Home (4-3) | Road (4-2) | 1-Run Games (2-2) | Extra Innings (3-1)
Updated on April 16, 2008
by SackMan on
Apr 16, 2008 9:14 AM CDT
up
0 recs
Agreed.
I’m gonna eat my share of crow on this one and although it’s only been 2 starts. I really like the way Ryan is throwing the ball. He’s sooo much more relaxed as a starter and has gotten into some pretty nice rythms. I’d like to see him be a little more effective with his pitch count and keep the ball down more, knock on Wood (not too hard) I’ve been impressed with Ryans 2 starts thus far. I hope he can keep it up. That’d be a great story.
Over time, your quickness with a cocky rejoinder must have gotten you many punches in the face - Al Swearengen
by lemon20pie on
Apr 16, 2008 10:10 AM CDT
up
0 recs
The only criticism I have...
... is the walks.
One thing I’ve noticed about Dempster now that we can see him for more than an inning at a time—I think he fields his position very well. That’s a real plus for a pitcher.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
by Al on
Apr 16, 2008 10:12 AM CDT
up
0 recs
The walks
I don’t understand how he can go from the first inning he had yesterday (5 pitches) to the second inning (walking the first two batters on 10-12 pitches). Did he lose the strike zone while the Cubs were batting in the bottom of the first? Dempster’s lack of control has always been his achilles heel. Hopefully he can continue to pitch around that wildness.
"Very adroit in the outfield." - Lou, on Dome
by gwood on
Apr 16, 2008 10:27 AM CDT
up
0 recs
absolutely right
He has good range and great composure when a ball is hit towards him.
by PirateDan on
Apr 16, 2008 11:04 AM CDT
up
0 recs
Whoa.
Where did you get that?
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
by Al on
Apr 16, 2008 1:23 PM CDT
up
0 recs
can u say?
stalker! J/K DJ
FU-KU-DOH-MEH! clap, clap, clap-clap-clap!!!!
by tony412 on
Apr 16, 2008 1:26 PM CDT
up
0 recs
Relax
I splurged on box seats last night behind home plate. I picked you up doing some pan shots.
You didn’t look happy at all about those walks.
by Damen Jackson on
Apr 16, 2008 1:31 PM CDT
up
0 recs
I wasn't.
You must have had a pretty good lens on that camera.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
by Al on
Apr 16, 2008 3:35 PM CDT
up
0 recs
Canon S3..
with a 12(48)x zoom. I like it, especially for the movie feature.
by Damen Jackson on
Apr 16, 2008 4:19 PM CDT
up
0 recs
See
I’m not a stalker! Everyone sneaks pics of Al.
SOMEONE SHOOT THAT DAMN PARROT!!!
by Keystone80435 on
Apr 16, 2008 2:28 PM CDT
up
0 recs
Maybe
SantosWL can photoshop all of us in there with Al. If so, can you add me some muscles and hot chick by side…preferably a’la Eva Longoria?
FU-KU-DOH-MEH! clap, clap, clap-clap-clap!!!!
by tony412 on
Apr 16, 2008 2:34 PM CDT
up
0 recs
That's awesome....
And if you think a man with a 48x zoom is dangerous, wait till my telescopic lenses come in next week.
by Damen Jackson on
Apr 16, 2008 2:35 PM CDT
up
0 recs
Watch out David BCB Photo Extraordinaire!
I should start that facial scrub treatment my wifey uses just in case you catch me in one of your shots. I remember when I thought my digital camera was cool cuz it shot at 6.0 MP!!!!
FU-KU-DOH-MEH! clap, clap, clap-clap-clap!!!!
by tony412 on
Apr 16, 2008 2:55 PM CDT
up
0 recs
Eva says Hi!

As I've told you before, I never repeat myself.
by santoswoodenlegs on
Apr 16, 2008 2:54 PM CDT
up
0 recs
hahahaha
a web gem
FU-KU-DOH-MEH! clap, clap, clap-clap-clap!!!!
by tony412 on
Apr 16, 2008 2:56 PM CDT
up
0 recs
Is that Eva or Evan Longoria?
If you play Defender I could be your hyper-space.
by IowaCubs- on
Apr 16, 2008 3:00 PM CDT
up
0 recs
do you
want to lose your Man-Card?
FU-KU-DOH-MEH! clap, clap, clap-clap-clap!!!!
by tony412 on
Apr 16, 2008 3:02 PM CDT
up
0 recs
Now don't they make a handsome couple?
Nanika Ga Okoru!
by dat cubfan daver on
Apr 16, 2008 3:03 PM CDT
up
0 recs
BWAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
SOMEONE SHOOT THAT DAMN PARROT!!!
by Keystone80435 on
Apr 16, 2008 6:02 PM CDT
up
0 recs
Whoa...
Looks like I was on a beer run….
I Believe!!!!
by Sarah Hope on
Apr 16, 2008 3:45 PM CDT
up
0 recs
No worries...
The paparazzi is always lurking around Al. Next time.
by Damen Jackson on
Apr 16, 2008 4:19 PM CDT
up
0 recs
I give Demp applause for his start last night...tough conditions, he didnt
..have his best stuff and he still got it done.
That’s what good starters due. I am pretty impressed so far.
Felix Pie must play everyday!
by JB 23 on
Apr 16, 2008 10:45 AM CDT
up
0 recs
Admittedly
I didn’t see the game last night or read the article above, but it sounds to me like Robinson is saying sometime the hop will result in a missed ball, not a torn leg
by TC Cubby on Apr 16, 2008 9:03 AM CDT 0 recs
Read the article
and it still seems to me like Robinson was talking errors, not injuries, especially because the quote was from last fall.
Not a fan of Gordon Wittenmeyer, the writer.
by TC Cubby on
Apr 16, 2008 9:05 AM CDT
up
0 recs
I agree.
I believe the “it” in his quote refers to the ball. In any case, I would guess that the hop itself didn’t cause the injury per se - it was just the catalyst. I must admit, I’m pretty worried about Soriano. For his leg to go out again this early in the year could signify a recurring problem that might really affect his confidence and mental focus - for this season and many thereafter.
Nanika Ga Okoru!
by dat cubfan daver on
Apr 16, 2008 9:10 AM CDT
up
0 recs
Soriano
His mental recovery seems to take a lot longer than his physical recovery
by TC Cubby on
Apr 16, 2008 9:11 AM CDT
up
0 recs
Maybe.
But it could also lead to an injury, like it (apparently) did last night.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
by Al on
Apr 16, 2008 9:10 AM CDT
up
0 recs
I'm pretty sure Robinson was talking about errors...
“One of these days he’s going to go up there and it ain’t going to be there” doesn’t even make sense from an injury perspective. Sounds like Robinson was talking about the baseball as the “it.”
Hopefully, Soriano doesn’t miss too much time. And if he does have to go on the DL, hopefully whomever comes up does a solid job. If I had to guess, I’d say Murton would be the guy called up, and he’d platoon with Fontenot (with DeRosa moving from 2B to LF versus RHP).
by SouthernCub on
Apr 16, 2008 9:25 AM CDT
up
0 recs
And are we sure...
that the hop was the cause of the injury? Couldn’t it have been an injury waiting to happen on any particular sprint, or sudden stop?
by SouthernCub on
Apr 16, 2008 9:29 AM CDT
up
0 recs
Well if you watch the replay
he was fine when he went up, but he landed badly (you could see an unnatural bend, which looked more like it would result in an ankle sprain than a calf strain, but it’s all connected I guess).
"Is there anything he can't do?" ~Len Kasper, 4/5/08, on Kosuke Fukudome
by JohnM on
Apr 16, 2008 9:50 AM CDT
up
0 recs
Don't know
I don’t know, maybe the injury was something waiting to happen, something that the hop just aggravated, maybe running the bases, swinging for the fences, just basic everyday stuff would have done it. However, does anyone know yet how bad it is? I haven’t heard about the MRI yet.
They call me MISTER Fukudome!
by brokenland on
Apr 16, 2008 11:10 AM CDT
up
0 recs
It looked to me
like it was the step after the landing, where he pushed off to head into the dug out, that caused the injury. Which would indicate it was one of those injuries waiting to happen.
by patron on
Apr 16, 2008 11:18 AM CDT
up
0 recs
Last night's game had more subplots...
...than a George Eliot novel. Let’s see here:
Did I forget anything?
Nanika Ga Okoru!
by dat cubfan daver on Apr 16, 2008 9:04 AM CDT 0 recs
Yeah, you missed one thing.
DLee thinks it’s 2005. And that’s alright by me.
And I gotta echo the sentiment about the duel 42 pic above. Absolutely brilliant.
Kinda sorta an oaky afterbirth.
by neverAcquiesce on
Apr 16, 2008 9:08 AM CDT
up
0 recs
Ah, good point.
I’m a little hesitant to call it too early for fear of jinxing him but, yeah, DLee has been simply amazing so far.
Nanika Ga Okoru!
by dat cubfan daver on
Apr 16, 2008 9:12 AM CDT
up
0 recs
Ugh.
Meant “dual 42.” They’re not swordfighting.
Kinda sorta an oaky afterbirth.
by neverAcquiesce on
Apr 16, 2008 9:15 AM CDT
up
0 recs
I love your profile picture.
I’d take Gareth Keenan over Dwight Schrute in a heartbeat.
If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant's life, she will choose to save the infant's life without even considering if there are men on base. -- Dave Barry
by bluebythebook on
Apr 16, 2008 9:18 AM CDT
up
0 recs
Gotta love his little bird face.
“Will there ever be a boy born who can swim faster than a shark?”
Kinda sorta an oaky afterbirth.
by neverAcquiesce on
Apr 16, 2008 9:25 AM CDT
up
0 recs
Yes but
“Whenever someone smiles at me, all I see is a chimpanzee begging for its life”
by berselius on
Apr 16, 2008 10:13 AM CDT
up
0 recs
Oh yeah?!?
"I could catch a monkey. If I was starving I could. I’d make poison darts out of the poison of the deadly frogs. One milligram of that poison can kill a monkey. Or a man. Prick yourself and you’d be dead within a day. Or longer. Different frogs, different times."
If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant's life, she will choose to save the infant's life without even considering if there are men on base. -- Dave Barry
by bluebythebook on
Apr 16, 2008 10:55 AM CDT
up
0 recs
Just what are you saying
about Dwight Schrute? >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Alan Trammell: Assistant (to the) Manager
by northsider on
Apr 16, 2008 10:30 AM CDT
up
0 recs
Not a bad word to be said.
Where do you think my screenname came from?
Kinda sorta an oaky afterbirth.
by neverAcquiesce on
Apr 16, 2008 10:34 AM CDT
up
0 recs
that I prefer the original is what I'm saying
Its brand of humor and writing is more appealing to me than the original.
The American version has grown on me, especially after they stopped lifting story lines and took the plot in their own direction. But I can only bring myself to Like It, while I’m Madly In Love with the original. And Martin Freeman… but that’s another story.
If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant's life, she will choose to save the infant's life without even considering if there are men on base. -- Dave Barry
by bluebythebook on
Apr 16, 2008 10:50 AM CDT
up
0 recs
I meant
Its brand of humor and writing is more appealing to me than the spin-off.
Duh.
If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant's life, she will choose to save the infant's life without even considering if there are men on base. -- Dave Barry
by bluebythebook on
Apr 16, 2008 11:04 AM CDT
up
0 recs
I agree.
Things as seemingly simple as the ungodly loooooooong pause Gareth takes sliding the coffee cup from one side of the computer monitor to the other have me in tears.
Kinda sorta an oaky afterbirth.
by neverAcquiesce on
Apr 16, 2008 11:07 AM CDT
up
0 recs
What I think I love the most
is the way it could seamlessly blend dramatic moments with comedy. Few shows can do that – Freaks & Geeks was one, and sometimes Scrubs is another.
The scene with Tim and Dawn at the end of series two, when he takes off the microphone and… ugh, my guts get twisted just thinking about it. So well written and acted.
If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant's life, she will choose to save the infant's life without even considering if there are men on base. -- Dave Barry
by bluebythebook on
Apr 16, 2008 11:12 AM CDT
up
0 recs
Yup.
I’ve long argued that it (along with Jim and Pam on the US version) is the most realistic romance I’ve ever seen. That it also happens to be the funniest show ever is just a bonus.
Kinda sorta an oaky afterbirth.
by neverAcquiesce on
Apr 16, 2008 11:41 AM CDT
up
0 recs
FREE LOVE ON THE FREE LOVE FREEWAY
I love the American version and I love how over the course the past 3 + seasons they have been able to really develop the secondary characters.
The one thing about the British version is that it does a much better job with those moments that are just painfully awkward.
I’m not sure how they would do it, but I would love for Dwight to meet Gareth…..
---AC 00 00 00 - Believe
by mjk83 on
Apr 16, 2008 1:13 PM CDT
up
0 recs
Ahh... YES!
D-LEE IS BACK!
Cubs 2008 (8-5)
Home (4-3) | Road (4-2) | 1-Run Games (2-2) | Extra Innings (3-1)
Updated on April 16, 2008



