The Chicago Cubs picked up another extra inning victory as they beat the Colorado Rockies 7-6 in 10 innings.  Both teams blew ninth inning leads with their closers, but it was the Rockies who ended up losing their fourth straight game when leading after seven innings.

The Cubs took the lead in the ninth innnig when Aramis Ramirez hit a two run homer off of Manny Corpas that gave the Cubs a 6-5 lead.  However, the Cubs couldn’t hold onto that lead as Kerry Wood blew the save in the bottom half of the inning Ryan Spilborghs tripled and scored Scott Podsednik.

In the tenth inning, Ryan Theriot singled in Mike Fontenot for the game winning run.  Carlos Marmol pitched the bottom half of the inning to pick up his second save of the season.  Wood picked up the win after blowing the save in the ninth inning.

It was the Cubs 10,000 win in their history which is a little milestone for the team.  I sure don’t remember a lot of those wins lol!

The Chicago Cubs completed a three game sweet of the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday with a 13-6 victory.  Ryan Dempster picked up the win to improve to 3-0 on the season.  Aramis Ramirez and Ryan Theriot both had a good day at the plate.

Theriot had four hits, including two doubles and two RBIs, while Ramirez contributed three hits and four RBIs, including his fourth homer of the season, a two-run shot in the fifth.  Derrek Lee and Matt Murton both had two RBI while Ronny Cedeno had one RBI.

In the games on Friday and Saturday, the Cubs picked up 3-2 and 13-1 victories over the Pirates.  On Friday, Rich Hill picked up his first win of the season as he tossed five innings.  On Saturday, Jason Marquis picked up his first win of the season as the Cubs crushed the Pirated 13-1.

After the three game sweep, the Cubs are tied for first place with the St. Louis Cardinals.  Keep on playing good baseball!

It was an ugly game between the Chicago Cubs and the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday, but the Cubs eventually ended up winning 10-8 in a 12 inning game.  The Cubs had led the game 7-0, before they started to walk batters, and play terrible defense.  Three errors in the game for the Cubs, they really need to get some work done out in the field.

The Cubs broke open the game when Ronny Cedeno hit a bases loaded triple in the third inning that scored three runs and put the Cubs up 7-0.  After that though, the Pirates responded with five runs in the 4th inning to make the score 7-5.  Aramis Ramirez grounded into fielder’s choice to second base that scored Reed Johnson in the the 6th inning that extended the Cubs lead to 8-6, but then Pirates came right back by scoring a single run in the 6th and 7th innings to tie the game.  No other scoring happend until Ramirez his a sac fly that scored Ryan Theriot in the 12th inning, and the Cubs added another run with a bases loaded walk.

Job Leiber picked up the win as he pitched in relief.  Carlos Marmol picked up the save as Kerry Wood was given the day off.

I hope the Cubs can get some good rest, and take some groundbals during the off day tomorrow.  I think they need to get a little bit of work done in the field and cut down on the errors.  The two teams will play again on Wednesday night as the Cubs play their first night game of the season.

If you listen to Friday’s Cubs game, don’t be suprised when you hear Ryan Theriot batting in the lead off spot, Alfonso Soriano batting second, and Kosuke Fukudome batting in the fifth spot.  That is Piniella’s new genious idea out of Cubs Spring Training.

Ok, I do agree that it would be wise to give Soriano a little bit of rest and not expect him to steal 20 bases out of the leadoff spot etc.  But to put Theriot in the #1 spot is just plain stupid if you ask me.  I still think Fukudome is more of #2 hitter as well.

If the Cubs ever get the trade worked out for Brian Roberts, I could see Roberts batting #1 followed by Fukudome, and then Soriano in the #5 spot.  I think that would be a good lineup, but that won’t happen unless the trade for Roberts happens.

What do you all think? Is Lou being crazy or do you think this would be a good idea?

The Chicago Cubs are 1-0 in Cactus League play as they defeated the San Francisco Giants 12-6.  The Cubs got off to a fast start as they jumped out to a 8-0 lead after only three innings of play.

Ryan Theriot and Mike Fontenot both had good days hitting the ball.  Fontenot hit a pitchit three run homer and Theriot reached base three times and scored all three times. � Felix Pie also had a pretty good game as he hit a home run and also took a walk in the game.

Kosuke Fukudome was hit by a pitch in his first at bat and then later singled and drew a walk to reach base all three times.

The Cubs face a split squad of Giants again on Friday, this time at Mesa’s HoHoKam Park. Cubs ace Carlos Zambrano will oppose Giants left-hander Jonathan Sanchez.

Spring Training is in full force around the league and the Chicago Cubs are getting ready for some intersquad games and then some games against other teams in the next week.  Ah, it is an exciting time of the year isn’t it?

Manager Lou Piniella has said he would like to bat Fukudome in the #3 spot and then move Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez down a spon in the order. � That would make the batting order look similar to this:

1.  Alfonso Soriano
2.  Ryan Theriot
3.  Fukudome
4.  Derrek Lee
5.  Aramis Ramirez
6.  Mark DeRosa
7.  Geovany Soto
8.  Felix Pie
9.  Pitchers spot

The batting order looks pretty good to me, although Theriot is the #2 spot I’m not too sure of to be honest.

As for Mark DeRosa, he was hospitalized over the weekend with an irregular heartbeat but after being checked out and staying the night in the hospital, everyone thinks that he shouldn’t miss to much time away from the team.  He will have a few more tests done on today (Monday) and then should be back out on the field within the next few days probably.  He will be closesly monitored however.

Relief pitcher Jose Ascanio showed up with a swollen face and black eye as he was punched during an attempted robbery at a convience store in Scottsdale.  The alledge robber asked Ascanio for some money and when he replied he didn’t have any, the robber punched him in the face.

Piniella also mentioned over the weekend that batters are pretty far behind the pitchers at this point in Spring Training.  Lee and Fukudome both had their problems trying to hit off of Kerry Wood reports have said.  Lee commented on Wood’s curveball, and Fukudome had a hard time getting a hit off Wood as well.  From every report I have read so far, Wood is in very good shape and is throwing the best he has in a very long time.

We should have another updating during the middle of the week, so make sure to keep checking back!

Cubs Blog

The 2008 Cubs Convention was held this past weekend at the Chicago Hilton.  There were trade rumors, batting order announcements, the rumors about the Cubs being sold, and much much more throughout the weekend so I’ll try to give you all a little cliffnotes version.

First off about the trade rumor, it was one that has been talked about before involving Marlon Byrd of the Texas Rangers.  Jim Hendry would like to get him if possible and platoon him with Felix Pie in centerfield.  I’d rather just let Pie bat against lefties and righties if he is going to be the everyday centerfielder of the future.

Onto the batting order that Lou Piniella came out and said he would us if opening day were today.  Alot of people won’t agree batting batting Ryan Theriot in the second spot as they would rather see Mark Derosa there.  Flip flop DeRosa and Theriot in the lineup and I don’t think it would be that bad of a lineup to be honeset.

1.  Soriano
2.  Theriot
3.  Lee
4.  Ramirez
5.  Kosuke
6.  DeRosa
7.  Soto
8.  Pie
9.  Pitcher

It appears that the Cubs more then likely won’t be sold for quite a while.  The owners would like to sell the naming rights to Wrigley Field to squeeze out more money in the deal, and then sell the team as a seperate deal.  One thing I do like is the fact whoever buys the team will have to keep them at Wrigley Field for a certain amount of years.  Right now they are saying 10 years but that could be more around 20 years when the sale goes final.

One interesting comment was made by Carlos Zambrano when he said he would let Ted Lilly pitch opening day.  Zambrano hasn’t won on opening day, and would rather let Lilly try.  Lilly says he is up for it if given the opportunity.  Zambrano didn’t come out and say much more then that which was a good thing lol.

Cubs Blog

I have been watching the remaining playoff games, and I’m still pissed off that the Cubs aren’t playing.  Am I the only one?  I wouldn’t think so but who knows lol.

I started thinking forward to the 2008 season, and what we might see out of the Chicago Cubs. Manager Lou Piniella will be back for his second season that is for sure. Will the team resign Kerry Wood?  Wil Geovany Soto be the opening day catcher?  What do you do with Jacque Jones?  Will Cliff Floyd be back?

As far as the free agents on the Cubs roster, I would expect the team to sign Kerry Wood, Daryle Ward, and Cliff Floyd if he chooses to come back.  Also, Scott Eyre does have a players option and has stressed that he would love to stay with the Cubs.  Time will tell what they do with Eyre, but I would expect him to be in Cubbie Blue in 08 as well.

That leaves Steve Trachsel and Jason Kendell as the free agents that the team would let go.  Neither player has a future with the Cubs team I don’t feel.  Atleast I sure hope not.

Right now I think we can expect Geovany Soto to be the starting catcher, Aramis Ramirez at thirdbase, Ryan Theriot at shortstop (would love to upgrade), Mark DeRosa playing second base, Derrek Lee at first, Alfonso Soriano out in leftfield, Jacque Jones/Felix Pie in centerfield, and Matt Murton in rightfield.

Time will only tell what the Cubs will be able to do as far as signing free agents and trades this offseason.� With the team up for sale, and no owner in place as of right now, nothing to drastic is going to happen.� I’d love to pick up a right fielder and a shortstop, but I understand if nothing happens at those positions as well.

Carlos Zambrano was dealing and was on fire last night in Arizona but the coaching staff felt it was time to pull him after only 80 pitches and it cost them the first game in the NLDS against the Diamondbacks.  Zambrano is planned to come back and pitch game 4 if there is one and that was the reason why he was taken out so early in game 1.  You have got to win game 1, and Zambrano was wheeling and dealing so you leave him in there a little bit long I think.

Once Zambrano exited, Carlos Marmol came in and gave up a two-run homer on a fastball.  You could tell that Marmol was anxious out there and he grooved a fastball right down the middle and Mark Reynolds made him pay.  You have to feel that Marmol is throwing his slider to often, and last night was over throwing it.  Once the hitters noticed, they could sit fastball and that is what Reynolds did.

The pitching was good last night however, what pisses me off is the offense.  Sure the Cubs went up against Brandon Webb, so getting 3-4 runs is going to be hard, but Webb was off last night.  He walked a few batters and the Cubs just couldn’t get a big hit when they needed too.  Swinging at first pitches will not get the job done like Ryan Theriot did.

The sun is coming up in Arizona right now, and lets hope the Cubs wake up tonight and game one was just a fluke.  If we can win tonights games, I really like our chances back at Wrigley Field.  GO CUBS GO!

Wow, not many of us were expecting to get sweeped by the Florida Marlins the past three game but that is exactly what happened.  After winning 10 of 12 games, the Cubbies have now dropped three in a row and to a team they did not beat all season long in the Florida Marlins.

Once again the Cubs starting pitching sucked from the first pitch.  This time it was Steve Trachsel who sucked it up.  Trachsel threw 4.1 innings while giving up five earned runs.  You cannot pitch like that when you need a big win.  Trachsel is a verteran and should thrown alot better then he did.  He has done absolutely nothing since coming to the Cubs.  Nice trade Mr. Hendry!

While the starting pitching sucked again, the offense was right behind them.  They could not get the clutch hit when they really needed it.  You don’t go up there hacking at the first pitch you seen when you need a big hit with runners on base.  Jacque Jones and Ryan Theriot had terrible at bats late in the ballgame at crucial times.

Tomorrow is a new day, the Cubs will be in Cincinnatti to take on the Reds and hopefully get back onto the winning ways.  Lets all sit down, watch the Padres and Brewers and hope for a Padres win!