Geo's absence of power and awful defense makes me think his shoulder is still bothering him. If that's the case, I think it's best for him and the team if he gets put on the DL. His OBP suggests he's seeing the ball well, but he's just not striking the ball with much authority. His throws on attempted steals look like Jason Kendall's during his tenure with the Cubs. I'd hate to see Geo burn out and despite my proclamations, don't think he's already peaked. I just think he's hurt.

Soriano needs to break out his slump. Right now, him being an automatic out is negating a lot of what Lee and Bradley are doing.

I too missed Fox at third last night, but think he's worth a shot there assuming he won't be a complete disaster on the field. I don't want to see the Cubs sacrifice more defense for the sake of offense, but given how Scales has looked at third, I'm not sure how much of a downgrade Fox would be there.

Good point about Geo's shoulder. I also feel like I've seen his hand come off during a swing again quite a few times lately. Maybe he's being overly tough or stubborn about it, but perhaps a DL trip wouldn't be the worst thing. I bet he has options left, but that's a much more humiliating option. Let him take 10 days off and then go rehab for a couple of games.

Scales is mostly playing 2nd now, so I think Lou realizes he's not very good at 3rd. We just faced a huge stretch of lefties, so I wonder if they'll ever be confident starting him there.

Nothing memorable about Fox at third last night. Much talk among the ESPN guys about Trammell working with him. Even showed Trammell signaling him to adjust his positioning. He did botch the start of a potential double play a few days ago. I don't think you can play him there on anything close to a regular basis. People whine about DeRosa being gone, but how much would you like to have Ronny Cedeno's range and arm to will in at third for the next month?

Side Note: Moses, thank you very much for putting these little recaps up. They're informative, catch me up on any news I might have missed, and a nice place to center team-oriented discussion outside of the newsthreads. *fistbump*

Anyone going to a game in the next few days? I (and I'm sure everyone else) would love an in-person report on Fox @ 3rd. I just can't tell a thing from watching the TV. Sometimes the replays are useful, but they're usually shown in slo-mo; I certainly can't judge reaction times when they're in slow-motion.

He was drafted as a catcher, right? So he'll probably have a decent arm.

Thanks, Cabbage.

Well, the Cubs are out of town this week, so any scouting reports will have to be from someone at the game last night (retro, perhaps?).

Here's a nice profile of Randy Wells.

Yeah, thanks for the contributions, Moses. I don't get to watch many games these days (work) so I enjoy the recaps.

I also appreciate the recaps. They often bring to my attention something I hadn't noticed (Derrek's recent good hitting, for instance) just by watching the few games a week I get to catch.

Anyone going to a game in the next few days? I (and I'm sure everyone else) would love an in-person report on Fox @ 3rd. I just can't tell a thing from watching the TV. Sometimes the replays are useful, but they're usually shown in slo-mo; I certainly can't judge reaction times when they're in slow-motion.

I feel like I have a pretty good eye for this even on TV, if the broadcast does its job. I've worked with some pretty highly regarded coaches on the footwork at both second and third. Its the positioning that is most difficult to see when you aren't at the ballpark.