let’s hope I can after the Brewers game.

Cotts and Howry are the two bullpen pitchers with the most Gas Can Potential, imho.

Tough game for our cubs, let’s start a new winning streak tomorrow, then go after the Carlos Lee-less Astros.

Geo’s been great, but there have been a handful of plays this year where he’s done a poor job of blocking the dish. He’s relatively new to catching and I’m pretty sure that he’ll work on that.

collisions, when possible. Today, it did seem that blocking the plate and letting the ball come to him would have been the better move…but the game is so “bang-bang,” it is hard to fault split second judgements like this.

My bigger gripe is with the ump on the HBP that loaded that bases on the 0-2 pitch on the batter before this play. It sure looked like the batter literally had his hands in the strike zone and he was leaning into the plate. It should have been strike 3. What an odd play. I know that is what Lilly was griping about. That HBP on the 0-2 count caused all the problems.

I know that sometimes the type of hop that you are going to get will dictate where you try to get the ball. It looked like if Soto had stayed back, the ball might have bounced again and gotten him into a short hop situation. It is very hard to tag a sliding runner off of a short hop because to play it correctly, you have to bring your glove up off of the ground with the ball to catch it cleanly and then get your glove back down to the ground quickly to tag the runner.

Just guessing, but I wonder if that is why Soto came towards first a bit to field that ball…

to go to the ball. It’s a difficult habit to break. Being told to wait back and actually being able to in a game situation, are two very different things. It took my pitcher getting badly spiked covering home for me while I went out to take a throw from centerfield to break me of that particular habit. My guess is, that it is something Geo and Matt Sinatro will work on extensively, maybe next spring. I’m sure they’ve told him to wait back….this isn’t the first time I’ve noticed him creeping up….but it’s not an easy remember in the heat of the game. Geo looks like a pretty quick study. He’ll get it. All in all I think he’s doing a fabulous job.

and if not, he is to move to whatever position necesary in order to make anyother potential play at any other given base.

Not saying that was the case here (as I did not see the game), but having caught my whole life through college, that’s the general rule.

Good, well-thought out replies. I thought about the “avoiding the in-between hop” factor after I posted my original query. Can’t tell if that was the case in this particular play, but as many of you pointed out, that’s another legitimate reason to move up and catch the ball.

Ultey has intentionally gotten hit two days in a row. I’m not an advocate of intentional HBP and have said that many times here, but I think it’s time to send him a message that if he’s going to get hit on purpose, there will be a bruise.

Definitely below the shoulders, though!

….lost one to a good team, so many breaks have gone our way in this series so far, karma caught up today.

Might as well win tomorrow and make us all look smart…

He in the midst of the dreaded “dead-arm” period right now and so Marshall was spot starting in his place.

but because we failed to convert that inning. Romero had good stuff, and he struck out three side after coming in with a bunch of baserunners. He is entitled to celebrate.

Right now the Cubs would play Arizona. The D-Backs are 5.5 behind the Mets.

If you’re predicting that the NL East winner will have a worse record than the West winner, you might be right — but I’m not convniced the Mets will hold of the Phillies.