May 14th, 2008 – CHICAGO — The Chicago Cubs today signed outfielder Jim Edmonds to a 2008 contract

Let’s be honest: Who didn’t think Jim Edmonds was done? He was a washed up Cub killer that was going to continue to kill the Cubs, but this time, in a Cubs uniform. For the first week and a half or so, it looked like we were all going to be right. Edmonds picked up only 3 hits (all singles) in his first 24 at-bats as a Cub. (8 games) Then came May 30th – maybe the most memorable game of the season to date, the Cubs 10-9 come from behind win vs. The Rockies. Edmonds went 3-4 with 3 RBI, and his first Cubs homerun. He had at least won over Cubs fans for one day.

Combined with an adjusted batting approach and a bit more confidence, Edmonds went on a tear. Edmonds went on to hit .319 in June with 6 HRs, 6 times the total he hit in his abbreviated San Diego Padres career. Slowly but surely, Edmonds began to look like the player he was with St. Louis, haunting the Cubs time and time again with his opposite field bombs and diving catches, only this time, he was helping them. What has made the Edmonds pickup so key is that his hits always seem to mean something throughout the course of a ballgame. His game tying blast against Atlanta on throwback day at Wrigley, his 2 homeruns in an inning during the Crosstown Classic, and his grandslam yesterday to finish off the sweep of the Brewers come to mind for instance.

Although a bothersome knee has kept Edmonds out of the lineup for a few stretches this season, Reed Johnson has filled in admirably in a platoon/fill-in role. There’s no doubt that this year’s Edmonds/Johnson centerfield duo has already outperformed the Felix Pie/Jacque Jones mess of 2007 both offensively and in the field. So Jim Hendry did it once again. He’s sometimes seen as a guy that never makes the right moves, but it seems he picked a winner with Jim Edmonds. Did he build the ultimate winner in the 2008 Chicago Cubs? Stay tuned.

Mike