Cubs on the All-Star team?

According to All-Star voting, which closes in just a few hours, Alfonso Soriano, Kosuke Fukudome and Geovany Soto will likely make the starting line-up for the National League in the All-Star game.

It's interesting that this trio will get starting nods, while Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez do not. Although it's important to note that the competition at Lee's position (Berman, Pujols, Fielder) and ARam's (C. Jones, Wright) is fierce.

I do hope Aramis makes the team, though, as a reserve. He deserves it. I wouldn't be surprised if D-Lee was left off the club however.

Beyond those two, I don't see any of the other hitters making the squad. Mark DeRosa probably has the best shot at second base (he trails only Chase Utley in the voting). But Florida's Dan Uggla is having a better statistical year and probably deserves the spot.

As for the pitchers, I would expect Carlos Zambrano to be on the team, and Kerry Wood will likely be one of the closers, unless Clint Hurdle needs to get a representative on the roster from some of the weaker teams and goes for their closers (Rauch from Washington, Capps from Pittsburgh, Wilson from San Francisco).

Squeeze Bunts...

* From the category of 'world's worst picture,' what is up with Sean Gallagher's team mugshot? Just brutal...

* Okay, so the Cubs have lost three of four games, including two at home. Not exactly the best stretch, but you had to imagine that a lull was coming after being fire-engine-red-hot recently. I'm not worried.

Keep in mind, it could be a lot worse. Look around. The Phillies are leading the NL East, but have lost eight of their last nine. And the Diamondbacks have fallen apart (they're now .500 at 40-40), yet are still winning the putrid NL West.

Who would have thought that the three best teams in the National League (right now, at least) would be from the NL Central?

* Ryan Theriot said in Sports Illustrated this week that people would be surprised to know he listens to gangster rap music.

He's right. I am surprised to know that.

* On the trade front, the Cubs are considered one of the leading contenders to get C.C. Sabathia, the Cleveland hurler who is the reigning American League Cy Young winner.

Downsides: It would cost a fortune in prospects to get him, and he's a free agent, so there's no guarantee he would be more than a second-half rent-a-player.

Upsides: He's a dominant left-handed pitcher who would immediately share the 'ace role' with Carlos Zambrano (imagine Ted Lilly as a No. 4 starter). Plus, if he did leave as a free agent, the Cubs would receive two first round picks in the draft as compensation.

Z as a DH? Don't think so...

The talk has already started (end of third paragraph) that the Cubs should use Carlos Zambrano as a designated hitter when they play an interleague game at an American League ballpark.

While you have to love Z's stats on the surface (.364 avg, 1 HR, .523 slg), here's one stat that might make you think twice:

44 at-bats

14 strikeouts

0 walks

Carlos strikes out 32% of the time he comes to bat. For comparison's sake, the free-swinging Alfonso Soriano strikes out 22% of the time (45 Ks in 208 at-bats).

Don't get me wrong...

...I definitely think Zambrano is the best hitting pitcher in the game who is not named Micah Owings.

...and I definitely think Lou should continue to use him as the first pitcher off the bench when the team runs out of pinch hitters.

...and I love having him in the No. 9 spot on the day he pitches, because there's added pop at the bottom of the order.

But I don't think he's a better alternative than Daryle Ward or Micah Hoffpauir when the Cubs head to an American League park. Especially not with his potential for rally-killing strikeouts.

But here's the thing...

You gotta love, Lou Pinella.

While Dusty would worry about things like walks clogging up the bases, Lou's smart enough to realize that one of the biggest concerns with this team (even though they have the best record in baseball) is an overworked pitching staff.

As of Sunday night, four relief pitchers for the Cubs had appeared in 25 games or more:

Carlos Marmol -- 33 games
Kerry Wood -- 33 games
Bob Howry -- 30 games
Michael Wuertz -- 28 games

Only three pitchers have appeared in more games this year than Marmol and Wood:

1. Luis Ayala -- WAS -- 35 games
1. Will Ohman -- ATL -- 35 games
3. Blaine Boyer -- ATL -- 34 games
4. Pedro Feliciano -- NYM -- 33 games
4. Heath Bell -- SD -- 33 games
4. Carlos Marmol -- CHC -- 33 games
4. Kerry Wood -- CHC -- 33 games

Meanwhile, Howry's number of appearances puts him around the top 20 in baseball. And Wuertz's puts him near the top 50.

That's a reason to be concerned, on multiple accounts:

1) Having your relievers pile up that number of appearances means you're running the risk that they'll be tired down the stretch, while is probably the time when they'll need to be sharpest.

I'm not necessarily worried about Howry or Wuertz. Both of these guys are veterans of the bullpen and understand how to pace themselves (Howry, in fact, was at his best down the stretch last year).

But I'm concerned about Marmol and Wood. Marmol has never had more than 59 appearances in a year; he'll eclipse that very soon. And Wood's career has been as a starter; I wonder how he'll handle 70-80 appearances in a season.

2) The number of appearances for those four relievers is an indication that the starting pitchers aren't going very deep into games. Among the starting rotation, here are the statistics for average length of outing (rounded to the nearest third of an inning):

Carlos Zambrano -- 6 2/3 innings
Ted Lilly -- 5 2/3 innings
Ryan Dempster -- 6 1/3 innings
Jason Marquis -- 5 2/3 innings
Sean Gallagher -- 5 1/3 innings

So, three of your five starters are lasting fewer than six innings on average. That's troubling. And it's the reason the bullpen is getting so overworked.

Solutions:

* Put more trust in Scott Eyre. His statistics - albeit in a limited role - are worthy (7 IP, 4 H, 1/10 BB/K, 0.00 ERA).
* Find someone among the likes of Neal Cotts, Kevin Hart, Carmen Pignatiello, Jose Ascanio, Sean Marshall, Chad Fox who can eat some innings and provide decent relief. Right now, most of that group hasn't been able to.
* Get Ted Lilly right. I think 5-6 innings is about all we can and should expect from Jason Marquis and Sean Gallagher. But Lilly needs to be a 6+ inning guy. If he can do that, it will ease the burden on the 'pen.

And then Lou can finally something else to be worried about.

What A Series!

What a phenomenal series for the Cubs against the Diamondbacks!

* Beat a great baseball team three games in a row

* Showed some real mettle in all three games

* Got solid starting (and relief) pitching

* Came up with clutch hits from a number of different people

* Overcame deficits and bad weather

My favorite moment had to be Daryle Ward's game-winning two-run double in the 6-4 victory on Sunday.

I love the Cubs' stars. Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez and Carlos Zambrano are easily my favorite players because I love the way they carry themselves (Lee's class, Ramirez's workmanlike attitude and Z's exuberance). But my sentimental favorite is Ward.

Looks more like a softball stud than a major leaguer. And he can't run or play much defense.

But he sure looks like he's having a blast out there, and, boy, can he hit. I saw him play a few games this spring. Honest to God, he never got out once when I saw him. He was something like 10-for-10.

Very glad to have him on this team and loved seeing him get that ovation after his clutch hit on Sunday. Deserves it.

Didn't think this was a post we would have to do, but...

...who should be in the starting rotation right now for the Cubs?

Your choices:

Carlos Zambrano

Ted Lilly

Rich Hill

Ryan Dempster

Jason Marquis

Sean Marshall

Jon Lieber

Sean Gallagher

Other

My opinion:

1) Zambrano (given)

2) Lilly (recovering)

3) Dempster (run support or for real?)

4) Marquis (streaky)

5) Marshall (deserving)

I prefer Lieber as the long reliever. He's a veteran and understands the role. I don't feel comfortable bringing Hill back yet, or giving Gallagher the shot yet. My thought: let's see if Marshall can eat up some innings.

As if the goat and the black cat weren't enough...

Guess who's on the cover of Sports Illustrated this week? Kosuke Fukudome.

And on the day it arrives in my mailbox, what happens to the Cubs? Kerry Wood blows a two-run lead, ruining a superb outing from Carlos Zambrano, and the Cubs lose to the division-rival Brewers 4-3.

No one can convince me there's not an SI cover jinx. No one.

Cubs 7 Mets 1

What a truly satisfying 7-1 victory over the New York Mets on Monday. Even though the team has been playing wonderfully so far this year, this particular game was validation to me that the team's for real. Why?

Beat a good club.

Beat a good pitcher.

Came through in the clutch.

Did the little things better than the opponent.

Things I liked:

1) Z's outing. Carlos Zambrano, although a bit jumpy, was lights-out. Great observation by Orel on the ESPN broadcast, pointing out that Z was hitting his spots so well that it was "either ball or black." You'll win a lot of games that way.

2) Aramis Ramirez is going to power this team. Any illusions that Aramis was slumping are over. His swing looks sharp and, more importantly, his plate discipline is back.

3) Clutch, CLUTCH at-bats in the eighth inning. Kosuke Fukudome's marathon at-bat against Aaron Heilman was a thing of beauty. Ronny Cedeno's rip into centerfield was impressive, especially given the tense situation. And Felix Pie's rocket into right was exactly what everyone wants from Pie: a smooth, compact swing. Pure magic.

4) Smart aggression. With Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado struggling, it was pretty obvious that David Wright was the hitter in the Mets' lineup that could have beaten the Cubs. But instead of nibbling and pitching around him, Z hit his spots (and they were smart spots) against Wright and registered a strikeout and a double play. Awesome.

Great to be a Cub fan right now!

Reflections on the first week of baseball...

* For the Cubs to be at .500 right now (3-3) is an accomplishment. As poorly as they've swung the bat this first week, finishing up even is a feat.

* Things that didn't carry over from spring training:
- Derrek Lee's slump
- Felix Pie's hot hitting

* Things that did carry over from spring training:
- Carlos Zambrano's stellar stuff
- Bob Howry's scuffling

* Most pleasant surprise: Kosuke Fukudome excelling in all categories
* Biggest disappointment: Alfonso Soriano can't hit outside the leadoff spot and no one knows why

* Prediciton after one week: Ryan Theriot will lose his starting spot by the end of this season
* Prediction for a career: Carlos Marmol will eventually be one of the game's top five closers

* Favorite moment: Fukudome's three-run homer off Gagne in the season opener

Opening Day!

Welcome to the baseball season!

But not the way we wanted...

Brewers 4 Cubs 3 (10 innings)

Observations on the first game (bearing in mind that it is just one game and not necessarily a microcosm of what the entire season will be):

* The top of the order has to be better or this team will go nowhere.

Ryan Theriot: 0-for-5

Alfonso Soriano: 0-for-5

That won't fly.

* Anyone else think Derrek Lee looks a bit listless? Not so much worried about the slight swing troubles as I am about how apathetic he appears. What's up?

* Doesn't need to be said, but I will anyway: Kosuke Fukudome was AWESOME. Loved the crowds' energy behind him; loved how he produced.

* Let's hope that was first-game jitters from Felix Pie. Because he did everything that Corey Patterson used to do to drive us nuts (struck out too much, swung at pitches over his head, looked over-matched in clutch situations).

* Carlos Zambrano really does look more fit. And his stuff was filthy. Movement was excellent. He deserved a run to make him a winner.

* Obviously, Kerry Wood's outing is frightening. Not so much that he was wild and looked very hittable, but more so about his demeanor. I think we can agree that a closer should have a nastiness to him (and a short memory). I thought Wood looked nervous instead. That can't be.

* And Bob Howry needs to work out his mess too.

* Ben Sheets would win a Cy Young if he could just stay healthy. No doubt about it.

* The Brewers are going to be tough this year. I foresee a closer division than most do. I'd like to think the Cubs can prevail, but I don't think it will be by much.

Ponderings...

* Why did Sean Marshall's name seemingly vanish from the starting rotation battle? It mysteriously went from Lieber-Marquis-Dempster-Marshall to Lieber-Marquis-Dempster, even though Marshall didn't pitch badly. Did I miss a quote from Lou where he said Marshall was out. Or was the storyline just easier to maintain when it was three pitchers instead of four?

Kid deserves better.

* Does it feel to anyone else like the Orioles are holding the Cubs hostage on this Brian Roberts deal, asking for more and more and more until Jim Hendry's head explodes? 'Cause that's how I see it.

* Mark DeRosa's one of my favorites. But he seems to not grasp that Roberts is an upgrade for the Cubs, not only at Mark's position, but by the way he realigns the lineup (allowing Theriot to bat lower in the order, where he belongs; allowing Soriano to bat in the heart of the order, where he belongs).

* Proof you can't believe everything you read on the 'net. Although, knowing Z, it's not too much of a stretch...

Likes and dislikes...

What I liked from Sunday's Cubs-Angels game in Mesa:

- Carlos Zambrano's dominant outing, allowing just one hit in six innings of masterful work.

What I disliked from Sunday's Cubs-Angels game in Mesa:

- The angle Felix 'Twisted Nut' Pie took on the one hit Zambrano did give up. Couldn't have played it any worse.

The Best Moments of 2007

Starting a new series today at Holy Cowbell: The five best Cubs moments of 2007.

Today, we'll start with the honorable mentions. You'll get No. 5 tomorrow.

* Cubs clinch division. September, 28, 2007. Behind seven scoreless innings from Carlos Zambrano and homers from Alfonso Soriano and Derrek Lee, the Cubs nailed down the Central Division (with the help of San Diego's victory over the Brewers). Perfect finish to an electrifying regular season.

* Aramis Ramirez's go-ahead double against the San Fransisco Giants. July 16, 2007. A-Ram's double, propelling the Cubs to another win, seemed to solidify Chicago as a contender. They did everything in this game that good teams have to do. They rallied to win. They fought. They scrapped. (They beat rookie phenom Tim Lincecum). I loved Ramirez's reaction too, after lunging to pulverize a hanging curve ball into left field (see picture, top left). Even though the ball wasn't out of the park, he still raised his arms in truimph, knowing he had given the Cubs the lead.

* Daryle Ward's walk-off single against the Washington Nationals. May 6, 2007. Ward lofted a ball to left field to the win this early-season contest with a walk-off single, prompting a raucous celebration on the field. But the classic moment of this come-from-behind game was Ryan Theriot's 9th-inning at-bat against Washington closer Chad Cordero. Theriot fouled off numerous 2-2 pitches before singling to right to drive in the game-tying run. Awesome Cubs victory.

Lilly, Z, Hill...and who?

The status of the starting rotation can be split in half. One half: certain. The other half: very uncertain.

Certain:

#1: Carlos Zambrano
#2: Ted Lilly
#3: ?
#4: Rich Hill (the Cubs third-best starter, but Lou Pinella has said he wants to break up the lefties
#5: ?

Analysis:

* Pinella has said he wants the #3 starter to be a right-hander. So it will likely come down to Jon Lieber, Ryan Dempster, and Jason Marquis. I'd prefer Lieber, who has consistently shown he can throw strikes and keep his team in games. Marquis's history of an inflated ERA frightens me and Dempster's return to the starting rotation (where he was never terribly successful anyway) just doesn't make sense to me.

* Add lefty Sean Marshall to the mix at the #5 spot in the rotation. I'm split here between him and Marquis. While I think Marshall is the better pitcher, Marquis has found a way to win double-digit games for most of his career (15, 13, 14, 12 wins over the last four seasons). So, I'll stick with Marquis and pray the wind isn't blowing out at Wrigley.

Tentatively (reserving the right to change my plea after spring training), I suggest: Z, Lilly, Lieber, Hill, Marquis.

Welcome to my blog!

Hello, Cubs fans!

I am a Chicago Cubs zealot based in Glendale, Arizona, about 25 miles from Mesa, where the Cubs spring training facility is located.

I have, in essence, been a Cubs fan since birth. My mother's side of the family has ties to Chicago, plus the Cubs were always on television (WGN) when I was a baseball-crazed kid, so the match was an easy one.

I've been there for all of the major moments in Cubs history during my lifetime. I cried after the Cubs lost Game 1 of the NLCS to the Giants in 1989. I gasped when Ryne Sandberg unexpectedly announced his retirement (the first time). I cheered Kerry Wood's 20-strikeout game. I shouted at Bartman. I gasped during the Barrett-Zambrano fight, one day before my wedding. I applauded the playoff-push in 2007. I booed their efforts against the Diamondbacks.

This blog is devoted to my love for the Cubs. It will focus on the team and my day-to-day life following them, with a little bit of commentary on baseball and sports as a whole sprinkled in.

Here's hoping 100 years of losing is long enough!