Once Again, Cubs Are In First .. Where Do They Go From Here?

by cubnational on Jul 26, 2009 5:21 PM CDT

It was sweet to watch the Cubs today, at least, look like a bunch of professionals playing like they're in synch.

Everyone contributed, and they played like the team we saw last year. It was a work of art. Even during the Philadelphia series, they kept scratching and fighting .. perhaps it was that test with the 2008 champs that really lit a fire up within them because it looks like they haven't looked back. So far.

This team played with a wonderful focus that was a thing of beauty today. Fukudome's cannon at work with his gun down of the Reds runner, Hill's first ever triple, Harden and the bullpen working up a victory and ARam scattering hits and power even though he's still not where he should be was joy to watch. Milton Bradley's continued improvement is certainly a great encouragement, and was that not a sweet basket catch even as he barreled into the Reds bullpen? And anytime we can bring Dusty screaming out of the dugout is fine with me.

NOW, where do the Cubs go from here? God alone only knows, but their destiny is largely going to be in their hands this week in the NL Central when they host a headlong collision with the Astros. Now the all out bar room brawl begins .. the fight to hold the summit and defend their crown.

Do the Cubs have what it takes to hold on? Will Lilly and Dempster return to form and will Soriano launch an offensive streak that will last all the way to a Game Seven? What acquisitions should the Cubs still need to make? Will what we have last to October and beyond?

I just know one thing .. like my nephew Alex said in Cincy: we got a fever in the Martinez household and it don't involve cowbell ..

May the Cubs Nation end up LIKING October baseball more this year than in any other time in many years .. GO CUBS!

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of SB Nation or Al Yellon, managing editor (unless it's a FanPost posted by Al). FanPost opinions are valued expressions of opinion by passionate and knowledgeable baseball fans.

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Offensive balance beginning to show

Baseball is about many mental aspects that effect the physical play. Soriano has THANKFULLY responded to his #6th position in the lineup where he has a .627 SLG and hitting almost .400. Fukudome is responding to his spot in the leadoff and the club and lineup is responding to Ramirez’s return and offensive clutch hitting.

Bradley is a physical tool, he needs to play that way.

If Dempster comes back Tuesday effectively they can overcome Lilly’s injury in that Harden is pitching well.

Yes the Cubs are now in First Place and I am celebrating that, 3 up in the loss column—-that is huge….and if they can go 3/4 over Houston they can push the Stros down and probably pick up another game on the Cards.

Piniella: "This is a tougher job than I thought it would be, I'm going to be honest with you."

by Ivy Walls on Jul 26, 2009 6:05 PM CDT reply actions

how exactly

does somebody play like a “physical tool” ?

by CalCalender on Jul 26, 2009 6:33 PM CDT up reply actions

like this

notice that the elevation of the bat is old school Willie Stargill ..

Blue mountains high .. Blue valleys low
I don't know which way we will go ..
One summer dream .. one summer dream ..

coda

ELO, 1975

by cubnational on Jul 26, 2009 8:40 PM CDT up reply actions

Blue mountains high .. Blue valleys low
I don't know which way we will go ..
One summer dream .. one summer dream ..

coda

ELO, 1975

by cubnational on Jul 26, 2009 8:41 PM CDT up reply actions

I'm glad that someone finally stuck with Sori down in the order long enough

to weather one of his slumps and prove he can hit down in the order.

My view on this team has long been that they’d have to snap back towards their career expectations- that there were too many talented players for them all to underperform all season long.

Prediction: Milton Bradley outhits Matt Holliday for the balance of the season.

Randy Wells - You continue to astound me.

by DGU on Jul 26, 2009 6:50 PM CDT up reply actions

Regarding Milton v. Holliday...

From your keyboard to God’s screen. :)

I think it’s possible. I’m not gonna lie: I’m a Milton Bradley fan. I celebrate his whole collection. And for my money, it doesn’t get any better than when he sings “When a Man Loves a Woman…”

by CubsWin!Oregon on Jul 26, 2009 7:08 PM CDT up reply actions

Just don't take Milton's stapler

by Ryjo on Jul 26, 2009 7:38 PM CDT up reply actions

DGU you are more than correct

As for Bradley, he has the physical tools to play the game naturally and to forget his demons.

Piniella: "This is a tougher job than I thought it would be, I'm going to be honest with you."

by Ivy Walls on Jul 26, 2009 8:34 PM CDT up reply actions

You have the same name as Milton

You must love him

"If I were playing third base and my mother were rounding third with the run that was going to beat us, I'd trip her. Oh, I'd pick her up and brush her off and say, 'Sorry, Mom,' but nobody beats me." ~ Leo Durocher

by Musicdude10 on Jul 27, 2009 2:09 AM CDT up reply actions

Milton Bradley was a good name..

Right up until that no talent ass-clown started making records…

Boy oh boy oh boy

by BleedsbluinMI on Jul 26, 2009 9:34 PM CDT up reply actions

Its still all about the offense

We’ve seen that if they can just score consistently they are a good team. Its easier said than done.

I think the pitching has proven itself to be good, and it sounds like reinforcements are coming at the deadline.

by jeff_pico on Jul 26, 2009 6:28 PM CDT reply actions

There's only one thing left to do.

Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.

by drewishdrewid on Jul 26, 2009 7:15 PM CDT reply actions

ADAM LIND!!!

"That pitch wasn’t down and in, that pitch was down and up." Tim McCarver

by wrigleyrocker12 on Jul 26, 2009 7:36 PM CDT up reply actions

no

the other thing.

Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.

by drewishdrewid on Jul 26, 2009 7:40 PM CDT up reply actions

ask SWL to post an appropriate picture?

Blue mountains high .. Blue valleys low
I don't know which way we will go ..
One summer dream .. one summer dream ..

coda

ELO, 1975

by cubnational on Jul 26, 2009 8:14 PM CDT up reply actions

no

the OTHER other thing…

Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.

by drewishdrewid on Jul 26, 2009 8:24 PM CDT up reply actions

try and take over the world?

wells4roty

by jesus christos on Jul 26, 2009 9:11 PM CDT up reply actions

Get milk on the way home

and marshmallows. Pregnant wife. Just marshmallows. No roasting, no Smore’sing…

Just marshmallows.

There is no such thing as an ugly female breast

by Worf on Jul 27, 2009 6:12 AM CDT up reply actions

Win the whole f***ing thing.

"I won't insult your intelligence by suggesting that you really believe what you just said." ~William F. Buckley, Jr.

by Goodie1969 on Jul 26, 2009 9:13 PM CDT up reply actions

THANK YOU!

Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.

by drewishdrewid on Jul 27, 2009 10:35 AM CDT up reply actions

I knew it too, drew

but I’m protesting the overuse of “Major League” quotes here.

There is no such thing as an ugly female breast

by Worf on Jul 27, 2009 11:17 AM CDT up reply actions

we shoulda gotten

a live chicken.

Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.

by drewishdrewid on Jul 27, 2009 11:42 AM CDT up reply actions

Candlesticks always make a nice gift

We can find out where she’s registered, maybe a nice place setting.

OK, let’s get to!

There is no such thing as an ugly female breast

by Worf on Jul 27, 2009 1:39 PM CDT up reply actions

Ivy,

“Yes the Cubs are now in First Place and I am celebrating that, 3 up in the loss column” I was kind of hoping they would make the move in late August early Sept. Too soon for me for them to be in first.

"You can't take life to seriously, you don't get out of it alive"

by wild bill on Jul 26, 2009 7:18 PM CDT reply actions

Bill, you speak like my father the eternal Cubs' realist.

As for the Cubs….they are 15-7 in July…..8-2 from the AS break…..that is a move. They have a good series against the STROS and the Cards simply split with the Dodgers and they are one game down in the win column and possibly 4 up in the loss column, that is a big deal.

I also think Bradley will hit better than Holiday for the next 60 days or so. Actually a lot of adversity has made the club stronger, Fox, Hoffpauir and now Hill are good players on the bench with Johnson where even they have a glove in Blanco.

I see a lot of Piniella’s sheer determination coming through now.

That said I know how good La Russa is.

Piniella: "This is a tougher job than I thought it would be, I'm going to be honest with you."

by Ivy Walls on Jul 26, 2009 8:44 PM CDT up reply actions

Huh???

When is it ever a bad thing to be in 1st place? What a strange post.

A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject.
--Winston Churchill

by lookingdeadred on Jul 27, 2009 8:20 AM CDT up reply actions

timing is everything

But I look at the Cubs July move as a combination of many things, most of all Piniella is re validating himself and Ramirez has returned, plus the Cards, Brewers and Stros missed out in a big opportunity to distance themselves to a a Cub team that was out of sorts and hurt.

Piniella: "This is a tougher job than I thought it would be, I'm going to be honest with you."

by Ivy Walls on Jul 27, 2009 11:00 AM CDT up reply actions

Shut up

And when you’re done, shut up some more.

There is never a bad time to be in first place. There is never a good time to be in second place.

There is no such thing as an ugly female breast

by Worf on Jul 27, 2009 8:39 AM CDT up reply actions

Well...

…unless you lead the Wild Card. But even then…

by ZachenFoot on Jul 27, 2009 2:09 PM CDT up reply actions

"If you ain't first, you're last." -Ricky Bobby

"Fasten your seatbelts"-Pat Hughes

by katie casey on Jul 27, 2009 9:20 AM CDT up reply actions

One game at a time

Be happy tonight. There’s still a ways to go and we have a definite fight ahead of us. Still, all I’ve ever asked is that the Cubs play good ball and stay competitive all the way through.

And part of me also wonders if a fight to the finish for the division title wouldn’t be a good thing and send them (hopefully) into the playoffs with momentum that they’ve been lacking the last two years.

by bluekoolaide on Jul 26, 2009 8:16 PM CDT reply actions

i'd like to think that the adversity is starting to pull this team together

as well as the latent professionalism and talent of this championship team from last year is finally starting to gel together and make up for the potential that is misfiring as well as languishing on the DL.

It’s done brick by brick .. and the foundation is 51 games strong. Let’s see what happens next …

Blue mountains high .. Blue valleys low
I don't know which way we will go ..
One summer dream .. one summer dream ..

coda

ELO, 1975

by cubnational on Jul 26, 2009 8:35 PM CDT up reply actions

Where do they go?

They keep coming to the ballpark and keep getting paid to do it. Beats working at Sears.

There is no such thing as an ugly female breast

by Worf on Jul 26, 2009 8:17 PM CDT reply actions

Milton Bradley working Customer Service at Sears

would be comedy gold.

"I won't insult your intelligence by suggesting that you really believe what you just said." ~William F. Buckley, Jr.

by Goodie1969 on Jul 26, 2009 9:16 PM CDT up reply actions

He would be good!

Like 300 WARP in the Sears customer service league.

"[Obama's] top advisors are Cub fans, so he has a chance." - Lou Piniella, 16 July 2009

by CaughtInTheVines on Jul 26, 2009 10:35 PM CDT up reply actions

LOL

by cubsforever on Jul 27, 2009 5:58 AM CDT up reply actions

Sears. Sears sucks.

I worked there once. Sold Lady Kenmores. Nasty. NASTY.

Jackie likes the smell of cut grass, he used to play ball on Saturdays, Playin in the sun...

by PacificCub on Jul 26, 2009 11:21 PM CDT up reply actions

Sears

Sears wsa my first job back in 1984-1986.

There are times I wake up in a corner in crumpled into the fetal position just weeping,

I had to delete my twitter account. But you can still find me at fanfiction.net under puckish prosecutor.

by puckishcubsfan on Jul 27, 2009 6:20 AM CDT up reply actions

interestingly they and K-Mart married

but I have to say I still like Craftsman hand tools

Piniella: "This is a tougher job than I thought it would be, I'm going to be honest with you."

by Ivy Walls on Jul 27, 2009 11:00 AM CDT up reply actions

Candlesticks are a good wedding gift...

Quia tuum es fatum titulis discidiis, vexillinis limbis nationalis,
gloriam seriis mundialisque, nunc et in saecula saeculorum...

Amen.

by Zeke on Jul 27, 2009 2:16 PM CDT up reply actions

if the Cubs play

the reds and pirates all the time yea they will do this good. They can’t dominate the big dogs like they can the little reds

by left shark on Jul 27, 2009 3:33 AM CDT reply actions

unfortunately

with the unbalanced schedule we rarely see the good teams from other divisions (just four combined series against Philly and LA compared to 6 series against every divisional opponent), so it’s hard to tell. But if we play like we’re capable of we’re at least the Phillies’ or Dodgers’ equal, and better than the Cards and Brewers and Rockies.

by cubsforever on Jul 27, 2009 6:01 AM CDT up reply actions

Bridal showers in my one social group and 1st place.

I have a social group and over the last 3 years we’ve had 3 bridal showers.

Day after shower for one couple they move into 1st place in 2007.

Last year the Milwaukee sweep happened starting the day after a bridal shower for another couple.

Guess what we had Saturday? You guessed it.

And yes we have another couple planning a fall 2010 wedding.

I had to delete my twitter account. But you can still find me at fanfiction.net under puckish prosecutor.

by puckishcubsfan on Jul 27, 2009 6:18 AM CDT reply actions

On paper the Cubs have enough to hold on for the NLCD.

If the big guys on paper produce the big numbers on the field (offensively), I think it’s enough to win the division. Playoffs? I would be happy if we played at least 3 competitive close games in the playoffs, i.e., I hope that this team shows up this time.

by DudeVf11 on Jul 27, 2009 1:02 PM CDT reply actions

Where do they go from here?

I've committed to tweeting about the Cubs for the rest of the season. (Does that sound as ridiculous as I think it does?) Anyway, if you're on Twitter, you can follow me here.

by daver on Jul 27, 2009 2:12 PM CDT reply actions