Chicago Cubs Baseball

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

After 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.