?

Left field bleachers here I come....first game of the year!

but you know what really grinds my gears? I hate when the Cubs lose but they outhit their opponent. That really steams my clams. There, I'm done.

think having only Johnson as backup in the outfield...and Ward I guess... is a problem? Today was a perfect example of my fears. You use Johnson early. You can't use Ward when you need to becuase you might need to use him in extra innings off the bench. You finally use Ward and now you've done 2 things. You've used your last power hitter off the bench and used up all your outfielders so you now have to keep Ward in and move Soriano to 2nd base. having all these extra utility infielders is great....but it won't help us when we need a power bat off the bench in late innings.

Why was fontenot not available? Did he get injured?

is horrendous which is concerning and I am really irritated at another slow start... especially at home.

Still can take 2 of 3 here. They need to wakeup.

pitching for the Astros today?

Not going to jump off the ledge or anything, but today showcased two flaws this club has that I'm worried will keep the count going to 101. First off, Rich Hill's mental inning at the zoo, otherwise knows as "The Kerry Wood Memorial Inning." Hill too many times goes to sleep between the ears. Today, lost focus, walked a hitter with two out, failed to regain focus and gave up a homer to a catcher no one's going to confuse with Russel Martin. I've always been scared that Hill doesn't have the gray matter to become the sequel to Erik Bedard and become the #2 starter we're going to need come October. I hope this changes.

Secondly, the millstone that resides in LF. As if the lollygagging after it at a critical juncture wasn't bad enough, then to wave at it like a parade float to cost us the game. Point to his assists all you like, this dude is a MINUS in LF, as he takes terrible angles, is deathly afraid of any wall anywhere, which would be fine if he got a jump on a ball slightly faster than an Easter Island statue, but he doesn't. That and his glittering approach at the plate make this guy the proverbial "square peg." I love 3-run homers when you're already up 4 against a middle reliever as much as the next guy, but not at this price.

And why do we have to cater our lineup around the 18 mil veteran so he's comfortable, but we can toss a rookie, Pie, into the worst possible spot for him to succeed, who needs every advantage he can get, and tell him to sink or swim?

From a good news perspective, is it just me or does it look like Soto is going to about 30 HR's this year?

Bad News- enough has been said already.

Good news- Rich Hill pitched well today
(not really) bad news- It came against the Astros lineup

That's all the good news I can think of.

Back to the bad news:

Bad news: Felix Pie looks absolutely lost at the plate and the Cubs need to start playing Johnson more, even against Righties. Pie's swing is still way too long and his plate discipline is atrocious. Good thing they didn't add him in the package for Brian Roberts

Bad News: The Cubs continued their hack attack mindset and had zero walks today.

Bad News: Soriano is a total hack at the plate and on defense. 6 more years of this guy huh, oyyy boyy.

Bad News: The Cubs got shut down by Sampson. Sampson!!!

Bad News: Marquis take the hill fot the Cubs tomorrow.

Bad News: The Cubs find yet another way to blow a game. Could easily be 4-1 right now.

Bad News: Top 4 hitters in the Cubs line up are hitting a combined roughly (too lazy to do the math) .130

Bad News: Both the Reds and the Brewers won again.

Good News: I'll close out with some good news. It's only April 4th. I'll give you that.

...the Good News / Bad News format? Getting close to Downey territory aren't you? ;-)

shut us down. I want that player that we can not name, who plays in the city of the finest crabs.

Go Cubs

...but their anger is misplaced. De Rosa kicking Berkman's routine grounder lost this game, not Sori misplaying a double into a triple.

If Berkman doesn't reach base, the whole inning (as Al implied) is probably different. The 16-mil guy gets the flack, the supporting player who doesn't make the big coin-- and truly, is responsible for the unearned runs -- is getting off easy here. De Rosa gets my full attention for the loss, not Hill, not Soriano, not Lieber.

And -- I'd rather have Brocail as my closer than Valverde, if I'm the Astros. His inning sealed the deal, no matter what the bottom of the 9th inning brought. The only way the Astros are going to compete is if these 2 have good years.

Tejada might be in a jail cell later on, but I'm not going into THAT right now....

that's 3 of their 4 losses that they IMO, should've won and found a way to lose. I don't like that trend.

I also don't like the fact that their top 4 hitters are hitting .055, .222, .150 and .222.

With the exception of Sheets, none of these pitchers that the Cubs have faced I would consider top tier pitchers and will end up with ERA's under 4.

Like I said, the only positive besides DOme (bat him 2nd Lou!!!!!!) is the fact that it's April 4th, because I've been hard pressed to find a positive on the field of play.

...of a 5-game winning streak.

soriano
fukudome
lee
ramirez
derosa
soto
theriot
pie

try it out lou!!

1. DeRo is definitely pressing. Not sure if it is because of his shortened ST, or because he's trying to "prove" to Lou that the Cubs don't need TNO.
2. I'm really concerned about Ramy's shoulder. None of his throws have looked good at all.
3. Sori may be pressing too. He likes batting leadoff. He heard all of the TNO rumors just like DeRo. Lou didn't do either guy any favors over the winter. The best thing he could do now is to totally renounce interest in TNO.
4. Riot does not belong at the top of a ML batting order.
5. Lou is starting to really bother me. Fontenot has a bad back, and he wastes Cedeno for nothing more than forcing a pitching change for Ward? He has two good-hitting pitchers and he wastes Johnson early when he only has a four-man bench? Someone, anyone, 'splain that for me.
6. Rich Hill did fine -- the one thing the 'Stros can do is hit, and he only gave up 2 ER in 6 innings.
7. I predict that Sori, Ramy, and DLee will heat up; Riot won't.
8. Pie's swing is a bit better, but his approach is not.

woo-hoo 1st comment in the new digs... This is nice and still has the new blog smell..Took me awhile to settle on a name since it's almost like naming a pet at least and won't go as weird as saying child but let's face it you're stuck with it..

Hope this wasn't a bad troll name in Cubs blogdom before and if it was I'm not that person.... as far as you know.. bwwwhahaa.. No seriously I'm not... Anyhoo, just wanted to get the 1st comment out of the way and see how this looks.. Great blog Al and hi everyone.. Go Cubs!

Wow! Way to make an ABC proud.

I can't get GA to work. I get to schedule page fine, but no matter what audio game I click on, it keeps trying to dump me into MLB TV, which I don't have (nor want). I click on the audio tab and pick my station again, and same thing - it tries to open up a video session.

Anyone use GA successfully earlier today?

I hope those who praise Soriano's defense were watching today. Of course, Soriano didn't even get an error for that costly whiff.

When I saw the play I said outloud, that was an error and then Len & Bob both said it was an error. The official scorekeeper sided with Soriano.

So in future arguments in support of Soriano's defense, his defenders won't have to worry about that whiff hurting his defensive stats.

Soriano's poor defense played at the very least a part in today's loss. But hey, Soriano's got a strong arm.

It's the only word that comes to mind. The same year after year futility on offense. And just like last year the Cub hitters make the most obscure and craptastic pitchers on the planet look like Cy Young reincarnate.

Can't say anything more about Alfonso Soriano than I've already said. But I don't want to hear anybody tell me again about the alleged greatness of the $136 million man.

And now the Cubs have to face Roy Oswalt on Saturday.

This is my first post here at the new and improved BCB. Very nice digs Al. Very,very nice. My alias was Laporte Cubs Fan.
I know this is cheesy, but I am just happy as punch that we are talking about baseball again, and that the weather this weekend will be the warmest in 6 months.
Thanks AL!!! See you sometime this summer.

At the game today, Rich Hill as well as Sampson were helped by the wind alot today. There were numerous balls that would have been hit out had the wind not blown them down. My point is Rich Hill did not pitch as well as it seems he did, on a different day he would have given up three or four homers today. The Cubs, and especially Soto, lost a few homers today as well.

Some things never change....

Does Jim Hendry subsscribe to the Jerry Angelo offensive philosophy, or does Jerry Angelo subscribe to the Jim Hendry offensive philosophy???? They must drink together....

I had a number 5 Nomar jersey, and i just stitched out the lettering, so i have a number 5 jersey. Since i realized who's number it was, I havent touched it.,..

I believe on Wednesday, he swung at a would be Ball 4 in a full count, but Aramis had a hit and run on, so it wasnt his fault. I still dont get that hit and run...

our beloved Cubbies are getting all of their bad baseball out of the way early and that we're about to make a 158-game run...