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Pictures of Lilly

I doubt when members of the Who were penning the song, “Pictures of Lilly,” they had Theodore Roosevelt Lilly in mind. Then again, I wonder how many of us in Cubdom had heard of Ted Lilly the pitcher before his arrival to the Chicago Cubs?

But in two seasons, spanning less than a year, Lilly the pitcher has left us with a pair of indelible impressions that in essence sum up the frustrations - and the hope - of Chicago Cubs baseball.

Chicago Cubs Pitcher Ted LillyThe first, and most unforgettable, the image of Lilly slamming his glove into the Chase Field turf after surrendering a home run to Arizona’s Chris Young in the second game of the NLDS.

Cub fans grimaced at, and with, the sight.

For that game, that moment, symbolized much more than the impending end to the Cubs 2007 World Series run. Most of all it showed the desperation and the pressure Chicago Cub players felt to win.

Then there was the Lilly of yesterday - and possibly of all of the tomorrows that this season will bring. In facing the D’Backs for the first time since that 8-4 loss last October, Lilly responded with his arm, his bat and with all the determination of a champion.

Just as the NLDS loss showed the vulnerability of Lilly’s character, yesterday’s performance re-established his resolve. Lilly’s seven-inning, three-hit effort propelled the Cubs to a much-needed win, but in the process possibly exorcised the Ghosts of Diamondbacks past.

To think yesterday’s showing wasn’t crucial to his present and future success would be to wholly and solely miss the point. Lilly may have said publicly last year’s meltdown didn’t effect this year’s efforts, but I believe privately he gave a different answer.

“Maybe a little bit,” Lilly said whether he thought back to last year’s NLDS performance. “I don’t want to admit it too much. You sort of let it go, but you don’t forget. And at the same time not try to come out of your game and do anything crazy.”

The only thing Lilly did “crazy” yesterday was shrug off the slag of a lackluster 2008 start.

There still may be ghosts lingering in Lilly’s closet. But for now, they’re hiding behind the curtain. And they just may stay there if Lilly continues to execute his pitches as he did yesterday.

Posted 10 May 2008 † Corked Bat § Comments & Opinion ‡ Comments (0)

Cubs Continue to Reel in Dis May

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who are these Chicago Cubs afterall? That’s the question of the month for those of us in Cubdom, and I’m pretty certain, for the Chicago brain trust as well.

Chicago Cubs Pitcher Ryan DempsterAfter six weeks of Chicago Cubs baseball I think it’s safe to say that no one knows whether this 2008 version is coming, going - or both. I’m guessing Cub players are wondering the same.

Are they the Cubs that reeled off winning streaks of five and six games in April or are they the club that’s been dazed and abused for the past two weeks, losing eight of their last 11 as of Tuesday?

Despite this six-week roller coaster of a season, surprisingly, major league baseball pundits are standing by their predictions - which even more astonishingly, includes the Chicago Cubs. Sports Illustrated, John Kruk and Steve Phillips of ESPN, and Kevin Kennedy of Fox Sports have all gone on record picking the Cubs - some as far as the World Serious.

Evidently, this group didn’t read the scouting report that includes a five-man starting rotation of three, a closer who’s ability to get the save is as suspect as his arm, and a left fielder who not is an outfield liability, but is hitting less than he weighs. And that little list doesn’t include a sometimes shaky bullpen and Cub management’s continuing search for a center fielder - preferably someone who swings from the left side of the plate.

Oh yeah. Then there’s the defense. In dropping a 5-3 decision to lowly Cincinnati, Monday night, Cub fielders committed two errors, accounting for all five unearned runs.

”Like I told my guys after the ballgame, ‘Make the other team beat you. Just don’t give it to them,”’ manager Lou Piniella said following the loss. ”And I know they’re not trying [to give it away]. At the same time, you play like that, you’re going to lose most of the time.”

Not that there hasn’t been individual bright spots. Derrek Lee looks to have returned to 2005 form (has it really been that long?), while Carlos Zambrano is letting his pitching do all the talking. And what sweet music it has been.

Geo Soto is hitting and catching his way into Rookie of the Year candidacy, even topping the performance of every Cubbie’s favorite Japanese player, Kosuke Fukudome.

But individuals don’t win World Series championships. And neither does a team with more holes than a side street after winter.

Posted 06 May 2008 † Corked Bat § Comments & Opinion ‡ Comments (0)

No Defense for Soriano’s Play

What do you get when you have a starting pitcher who can’t finish the first inning, an outfielder who can’t catch and an offense that leaves 13 men on base? The easy answer is another loss for Chicago Cubs baseball.

The more complex answer is a commander-in-chief who’s unbending in his commitments despite repeated negative outcomes with an unyielding stubbornness that results in a tyrannical fit when his decision-making abilities are called into question.

Chicago Cubs Pitcher Rich Hill in the First Inning
”That’s why I told him, obviously I knew. I’m not going to take Soriano out for defense. [Rogers] knows it, you know it, and unless it’s a double switch — that’s the only way he’s going to come out of a ballgame. Everybody knows that. You don’t take superstar players out of the lineup. You don’t do it.” - Lou Piniella, Chicago Cubs manager

“Just make sure they hit it someplace other than left” - Bob Brenly, former major league manager, WGN-TV Cubs announcer

No, I’m not referring to the current political administration although I very well could be. Unfortunately for Cubdom, the above description references Chicago manager Lou Piniella, who continues to defend and enable his “superstar” players while the Cubs keep losing (2-6 over their last eight games).

Lou’s latest tirade came Thursday, following a 4-3 loss to Milwaukee. Lou blew when a reporter asked whether he considered a defensive replacement for Alfonso Soriano in the ninth inning. It was a legitimate question considering Soriano was in his first game back from the disabled list and the Brewers three-run comeback was enabled by a double that many who saw the game felt Soriano should have caught.

Instead, Piniella came uncorked at the thought that someone would dare question his managerial skills. Lou’s tirades were cute at first, but now have become a tiresome distraction to the real questions surrounding Soriano and Wood’s abilities to get the job done.

If Thursday was an anomaly to Soriano’s defensive ability, then Piniella would have been inbounds. But it’s not.

Again last night, Soriano misplayed two catchable balls that yielded a St. Louis run. How bad was it? The Cardinals’ Chris Duncan looks more comfortable in the outfield than does Soriano.

In a brief moment of honesty, WGN announcer Bob Brenly summed up Soriano’s play (see quote above). By the next inning, however, he and his partner Len Kasper, were both back to normal, playing Judas to the truth and excusing Soriano’s lack of defensive play on playing under the lights.

Friday was the lights, on Thursday it was the wind.

The reality is it’s Lou coddling an overpaid player who’s one dimensional mindset outweighs his skill set. Continuing to support negative behavior is called enabling.

And there’s no excuse for it.

Posted 03 May 2008 † Corked Bat § Comments & Opinion ‡ Comments (0)

This One’s on Lou

Out like a lion, in like a lamb. As Jekyll and Hyde as the weather has been it has nothing on Chicago Cubs baseball.

Alfonso Soriano Returns to Chicago Cubs LineupAfter pounding Milwaukee, 19-5, to close out the month of April, less than 24 hours later the Cubs allowed the Brewers to stage their own May Day Parade in the ninth inning, dropping a 4-3 decision. The loss left the Cubs one-half game out of the NL Central lead, heading into the weekend series with front-running St. Louis.

Kerry Wood, the Cubs designated closer, was the culprit yet again, allowing all three Brewer runs on three hits, a hit batter and an intentional walk. It was Wood’s third blown save in seven opportunities to go along with his 2-1 record.

May Day also saw the return of Alfonso Soriano from the disabled list to the Chicago Cubs lineup. Soriano assumed his customary left field position and lead-off spot in the Cubs lineup, where he promptly went 0 for 4, dropping his season batting average to .164.

Coincidentally, it was a shot off the bat of Milwaukee’s Gabe Kapler that sailed over the head of Soriano for a double and set the stage for the ninth inning comeback. While some in attendance questioned Soriano could have caught the ball, Fonzi had his own thoughts on the play.

“I feel 100 percent with my legs and I think I have a very good jump,” Soriano said. “He hit a line drive off balance and the ball goes like one bounce to the left-field wall. I think the wind got that ball.”

Oh, yes. It was the wind. Reed Johnson can run a country mile and slam head first into a wall to track down a ball, but for Soriano Kapler’s hit can be explained away as nothing more than a wind-aided double.

For myself, Soriano’s absence did not make my heart grow fonder. Since arriving in the National League, Soriano has proven to be a five-tool player with a one-tool mindset.

Of course it helps to have a manager more apt to enable than he is to insist. Where in lies the crux of today’s loss. And probably even a few more before this.

As much as Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella knows baseball, he’s also proven to be unyielding in his decisions. Unless of course, it involves the lineup card. Then it’s best to have as much eraser as you do pencil.

The decision to make Wood the Cubs closer was settled in March. My guess is Wood will be the closer in September regardless the number of blown saves. Just like Lou stuck with last year’s closer Ryan Dempster and his ups and downs.

As for Soriano, he’s as atypical lead-off man as there is in baseball. He doesn’t take pitches, his OBP is mediocre at best and his strikeout to walk ratio is almost 4:1.

But don’t expect to see Soriano anywhere else in the Cubs lineup besides batting lead off.

”Look, Alfonso is a special talent,” Piniella said. ”Forget the other positions in the lineup. He is going to hit leadoff, and that’s the end of it. You lead him off, and then you do what you have to do second through eight.”

Lou has spoken. As for the rest of us? We’re all just April fools.

Posted 01 May 2008 † Corked Bat § Comments & Opinion ‡ Comments (0)

Reed Draws Bead, Makes Incredible Catch

If any Chicago Cubs baseball fan hasn’t seen, center fielder Reed Johnson’s spectacular catch in Friday’s game against the Washington Nationals, it’s definitely a site to behold. Johnson, a spring training pickup from the waiver wire, appears to have shored up the hole in the Cubs’ center field - both defensively and with his bat.


”Best play I’ve ever seen in person. Maybe the best play ever,” Cubs shortstop Ryan Theriot said.

Johnson is batting .308 through 19 games and has an OBP of .395. Whatever Reed has done thus far at the plate will likely be overshadowed by this sensational catch.

Posted 26 April 2008 † Corked Bat § Chicago Cub Baseball News ‡ Comments (0)
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