The sky isn't falling. As bad as the Cubs have looked in the last week+, I can't help but still be optimistic for the season. The Cubs are still first in all of MLB in runs (10 ahead of Arizona), 4th in BA, 1st in OBP, and 4th in slugging. Who would have predicted that before the season? Soriano hasn't hit worth #### yet and they're playing inferior guys at 2 positions. That offense is here to stay. They're only 11th in ERA and 14th in K's, so the pitching definitely has room for improvement. And it will improve, the talent is there, whether it's Hill and Lilly bouncing back or some more young guys taking over. Gallagher was impressive last night, I'd love to see him get a crack at the rotation this year, or at worst staying up and shoring up the bullpen.

Although I'd much rather see Ronny and SS and Felix in CF everyday, The Cubs are only 1.5 gb a total fluke team. It took the Cubs until late May/early June to really get cooking last year as Lou was still messing with playing time and the bullpen rotations. Getting off to a great start is just gravy.

I'd really like to see all of us sit back and enjoy the team for a while. Can we go a whole week without complaining? And can we also stop the collassally idiotic and ignorant comparisons of Lou to Dusty? Luckily, we've got 3 games to remind us how bad Dusty really is (and we shouldn't need those reminders, but some of us obviously do).

Go Cubs.

I agree, Moses. I didn't get a chance to visit the site over the weekend, so I'm not sure what was said/how much complaining happened, but I don't see a lot of room for it.

Yeah, it was a rough week and it was particularly rough considering how the team had been playing, but these things happen. But I don't think anyone here actually thought this was a 100+ win team, so it's completely reasonable to expect them to fall back to earth a bit ... which they have.

There's still a whole lot of room for optimism, between the way the offense has performed and, as Moses points out, the expectation that the pitching will come around.

What happened to the Reds? Their outfield can't hit, they only have 2 starting pitchers that aren't playing below replacement level, and their bench can't hit. They are scoring 4.13 runs per game and allowing 5.13 runs per game. This doesn't look like a team that's going to be around .500 with the slim chance of contending in the division.

From Rotoworld:

The Daily Herald suggests that Felix Pie could be headed to the minor leagues.
Pie has continued to struggle at the plate, and right-handed Reed Johnson got the start against a righty on Sunday. Ronny Cedeno has started taking fly balls in center field, and the paper speculates that with Cedeno as an emergency option, Pie could be sent to Triple-A Iowa.
Source: Arlington Daily Herald

From yesterday's chatter:

What blows my mind about this Pie thing is they made this big stink about how they weren't giving up on Pie, how Lou was taking private time to work with him, they called up minor league hitting coordinator Dave Keller to work with him, so since all that's gone down:

Pie: .304 .393 .478
Johnson: .262 .347 .295


That doesn't sound like Dusty to you Moses?

That's nuts. Johnson's not even hitting like he was earlier in the season to warrant this move. Maybe I'm not seeing a lot of Cub games, but it seems like Pie isn't exactly getting a lot of plate appearances. It can't be easy for a young guy to make something happen with so few opportunities.

Honestly, I don't see why they don't just give Pie the job to lose. He hasn't looked great or even particularly good most of the season, but as Moses points out, the team's offense is still very good and they're within striking distance of a fluke team. Give the spot to Felix. If Lou's that worried about loss of production with Johnson out of the lineup, then he could always put Ronny at short.

First off, sample size; how many PAs is that for each of them? Secondly, if they're sending him to AAA so he can play every day, I'm fine with that; I'd rather he keeps playing and working on the swing than sit on the bench. Thirdly, from the Daily Herald article:

This may or may not mean that Pie could be on his way to Class AAA Iowa. However, Cubs officials emphatically shot down rumors that had Pie possibly going to San Diego for shortstop Khalil Greene.

So it's simply speculation by Miles at this point, and as reliable as he is he doesn't even say "sources within the Cubs." IIRC, there was talk of Ronny taking flyballs in center in spring training. I need to take a wait and see on this.

And no, it doesn't sound like Dusty. Lou's been addressing a specific issue with Pie and has been upfront about it. You see anywhere where Lou's making excuses for any player, specifically a veteran? I think he's taking an interesting stance on Soriano, but $136mil leaves him very little options. How many f'in young guys got chances last year over veterans who weren't performing? We're just over 1 month into this season and you want to throw out everything positive about this team (maybe you missed the 1st in runs and 1st in OBP points above) because you don't like the way he's treating a couple of young guys who've sucked so far? I've conceded that I'd rather see Cedeno over Theriot (and I do think Lou has a blind spot when it comes to Theriot), but I really don't question many of the other moves. Hill will be back up and in the rotation as soon as things are straightened out in AAA. I know you saw the quotes about his arm slot, you still have problems with that move?

You obviously don't remember what it's like to have Dusty manage this team. You think they would have been anywhere near the playoffs last year if Dusty were around? Or would have this good of an offense?

san dieago would get nothing anywhere near as good for pie

For all the ######## about Theriot, he does have a 108 OPS+ this year, which ain't bad for a SS, particularly a Cub SS. Yes, it's a small sample size and yes, Cedeno is hitting better (in an even smaller sample size) and has better defense, but we're not talking Neifi! yet. I'd like to see Cedeno play, but if this is what passes for a questionable move, the Cubs are doing okay.

#### i dont think i get the game tonight

What happened to the Reds?

Dusty Baker?

How come no one's talking about Aramis Ramirez missing a third straight game? What's the word on him?

I'd like to see Cedeno play, but if this is what passes for a questionable move, the Cubs are doing okay.

I agree. However, Theriot is running into a lot of outs on the bases and has quite a few errors already. Basically, he's playing dumb, which is the exact opposite of what he did last year.

How come no one's talking about Aramis Ramirez missing a third straight game? What's the word on him?

Last I heard/read, the wrist is still stolen. No breaks though. Nothing beyond that.

---

Look at that, Pie in the lineup. Bruce sure read a whole lot into that Reed Johnson start last night.

Dempster's pitching like he's trying to nail down a save.

Lots of bad luck for Dempster that inning. Griffey's GB was right to where a SS would be, but they had the shift on. Phillip's swing bunt was perfectly placed. Votto's GB should have been a DP. Keppinger's bloop single broke his bat in half and just floated over Fontenot. No excuse for walking non-clutch Edwin, especially since the strike zone is HUGE tonight.

I think that was strike 3 that Encarnacion walked on. That inning was really frustrating.

And Geovany Soto.

Lou seems to be run happy thus far this year.

I mean SB happy by that.

How many strikeouts looking until these guys realize how big the zone is? That being said, the one to Pie was right down the middle.

430ft for Soto's HR.

I would hope the zone is huge considering the Cubs have K'd five of their six outs. Jeez.

6ks! Thank you giant strike zone.

The Reds have Kd 6 of their 6 outs.

Against Ryan Dempster.

If Mike Fontenot wasn't a total putz, Dempster could have a chance to put together a special outing with that zone and the way Cincy is swinging the bats.

And Steve Nebraska is safe for another day.

I wish this game started at 7 so I didn't have to watch this crap.

Way to go, defense.

Yet another game I'm pleased to have a conflict for. The Cubs'll have to manage their epic comeback without me.

For those who can't get the game on TV, go here and get it http://www2.myp2p.eu/competition.php?competitionid=&part=sports&discipline=baseball

Oh just ####### lovely, Lou wants to go to 13 pitchers when Eyre comes back. There's your Pie demotion.

I'll believe it when I see it. I heard them, but I refuse to believe it. Especially with Ramirez missing time and Ward having hamstring issues and Marquis's next start getting skipped.

Well by the time Eyre comes back both Ramirez and Ward should either be back healthy or on the DL. He's still at least a week away IIRC.

Good inning, nice to see who did it too cause all of them have looked bad recently.

Pie!!!!

Let's see Reed Johnson make that catch!

Cincinnati starts hitting and our defense starts playing. Fun.

I'm gonna be pissy if those errors wind up making the difference. Dempster deserves better tonight.

Question. Game center has Dempster as allowing 3 ER. Why aren't all three first inning runs unearned?

Strikeout
infield single
infield single
error
walk, 1 run
strikeout
single, 2 runs

If not for the error, the walk doesn't force in a run. I assume the other 2 runs, scoring after 2 were out were the unearnies.

Hey, its REG.

Gameday is wrong.

And so is merriweather at 1st. He was out.

Maybe it's just me, but it seems like Marshall regularly fails to retire at least one of the lefties he's in there to face. At this point, leaving Dempster in there would've yielded similar, if not better results, though I understand the reason he was taken down.

Chad Fox is alive?

More importantly, why is he once again brought in with the game hanging in the balance? Is there something I don't know about? Because last I recall, he was a pretty shitty pitcher and that was in 2005.

The 2008.v1 is no better than that.

once again how the #### are we losing. this team is better then this

DeRosa has looked terrible lately. If only somebody on the bench was good enough to give him a day off.

Looks like the errors WILL make a difference. Super.

Come on Pie, let my red-faced rants finally come true, rather than bite me in the ass.

Fake rally!

nice at bat by pie

Nice AB for Pie there. Let's hope tonight ends the Reed Johnson Experiment.

Really don't like Ward batting here. DP city.

Yeah, I think I woulda went with Cedeno instead of Ward there, but Ward did hit that hard, just happend to be right at Corey.

Does Soriano EVER not start out 0-2?

why ward?

Why the #### is Ward swinging 3-1?

My money's on a double-play.

Amazing that Soriano almost swung at that pitch three feet outside and two feet short.

Nice comeback by Soriano.

I think I'd pinch hit Cedeno here. Even traditional baseball manager-ese makes sense he's 5 for 6 with the bases loaded.

THERIOT SWINGS AT THE FIRST PITCH AFTER HE WALKED SORIANO??

Wow, a walk. That's kind of amazing, really.

hell has frozen over soriano walked

What? The dustbag is still awake? He sure slept through his last three years witht he Cubs.

####### IDIOT

Hell of a game for Fontenot. My god.

Yet more bad baserunning. When did the Cubs become some consistantly stupid?

Heh. GameDay shows ball 1 to Theriot landing somewhere behind the batters box...it's off the chart.

Fontenot was pretty clearly safe, but that was a stupid ####### idea going home.

You've got to be shitting me.

game day is uber slow for me

Thanks Mike!!

Salt on the wound.

I'm guessing Lou's in the process of getting himself tossed.

Nope, game over retro. The 5 foot 4 second baseman loses it for us.

Great. This run the Cubs are on is really starting to piss me off. They're playing with their heads up their asses.

Awesome. Big picture, I know, but this team is playing like ####### idiots right now.

Ronny Cedeno update: After Lou's postgame comments saying he had to get him some playing time with the way he's hitting

0 Starts.

Those comments were 7 games ago by the way.

I've been high on Cedeno for going on five years now, and I think he's the best middle infielder on the team, but I can't really blame Lou here. Who are you going to bench -- your shortstop with the .322 average or your second baseman with the .844 OPS? Maybe he should have started at third over DeRosa, who's been scuffling a bit recently, but the real answer is that this offense has been awesome, with the only gaping hole being in LF, which is manned by a guy earning a gazillion dollars. Of course, Theriot will start to slump, at which point Cedeno hopefully will put a stranglehold on the starter's role.