Today was "Quality Time" day for Rachel & me.
OK, yes, every day should be quality day between dads and daughters. But today, Rachel & I decided we'd do something together. We were going to go to the zoo, but as you know if you're in northern Illinois, storms started rolling through the area in the early afternoon, so we quickly scratched that idea.
After also crossing several museums off the list, I came on the thought of just taking a drive through the northern suburbs, where I grew up, and showing her some of the houses I lived in, and schools I attended.
I called it "the Museum of Me", and that's sort of what it was, a tour through my childhood for my daughter. She enjoyed hearing some of my old stories, seeing some of my old haunts, many of which haven't changed since I lived there (mumblety-mumble) years ago. No, I'm not going to bore you guys with this sort of thing. It's a family thing, if you will in a new-agey sort of way, a "bonding" thing.
Besides, it gave me a good excuse to keep the game on the car radio.
The Cubs did what they had to do, won two out of three from a really, really bad team, beating the Pirates convincingly 7-3 this afternoon, behind two-run homers from Todd Walker (Memo to Dusty: do NOT sit this guy down!) and Aramis Ramirez and a pitching performance by Glendon Rusch which, at least for now, has saved his spot in the starting rotation. If not for one bad pitch to Craig Wilson with two out in the sixth, he'd have thrown six shutout innings, as he was likely going to be lifted for a pinch-hitter anyway in the top of the seventh, as the first scheduled hitter.
(Wouldn't Wilson have looked pretty good as the Cub right fielder this year?)
Best thing about Rusch today: six innings, only one walk.
I still don't see the infatuation with Freddie Bynum, but he did get his first hit in a Cub uniform today and played a respectable right field. Let us hope that's the last time he has to start out there. It was also good to see Juan Pierre have his first real solid game as a Cub; a leadoff single (scoring on Walker's HR) and two other hits, along with his fourth stolen base.
Angel Pagan was placed on the 15-day DL today, after breaking down in tears in the clubhouse last night following the ugly-looking knee/hamstring injury he suffered. I feel bad for the guy; he got a real chance to show a major league club what he could do in spring training, did well enough to make it, played well in a short time, and then in the season's tenth game, suffered an injury that appears to be bad enough to be season-ending.
I'd cry too under those circumstances; wouldn't you?
Anyway, today's Daily Herald says Felix Pie might be called up, with the same caveat that I've mentioned here, from Dusty Baker:
"He's down there to play," Baker said. "But we're here to win, too, so..."
Exactly. If Jacque Jones is healthy enough to play, there is no point in bringing Pie up to sit on the bench. This BCB diary quotes WGN Radio as saying the recall will be David Aardsma, to give the Cubs a 12th arm on the pitching staff.
Now. Usually I'm against that, but with the starting staff in shambles, an extra arm wouldn't hurt. Aardsma throws hard -- peaking at 95-97 most outings -- and if he can harness the control problems that have plagued him in his career to date, he could turn into the nicer version of Kyle Farnsworth we've all been longing for. The roster move will likely not be officially announced till sometime tomorrow afternoon.
Apart from the Mets, now 9-2 after taking their series finale from the Brewers, no one in the National League appears dominant in the early going. Get this pitching staff healthy -- and the first returnee may be Kerry Wood, who might be ready for a rehab start soon -- and the Cubs might suddenly look very, VERY good.