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Thanks for your concern Stringer
..:Official 2008 NL Central Thread:..Congratulations Chicago Cubs...:
- Thread in 'Sports & Training' Thread starter Started by arog27,
- Start date
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This lack of offense is pissing me off...............it's gonna be a long year unless these dudes shape the ##+# up.
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Cubbies D is looking awful while the Brewers D is looking great today.
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Defense is looking real sloppy, especially Soto behind the plate. 0-2 is not a good way to start a new season. Negative vibes man....
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Originally Posted by aRog27
Thanks for your concern Stringer
No problem.
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Originally Posted by aRog27
Originally Posted by AM 1 FIEND
Question everything? How in the hell did you derive that?
Well, not so much is, but after the Cubs lost the opener, reporters here in Chicago questioned the offense, the batting order, the bullpen, taxes, the weather, the field, 4x4 utility vehicles, the affect of aerosols on the environment ......i mean, everything.
theotherai9
Banned
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Rick looking good
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Soriano to move back atop lineup
CHICAGO -- It only took two games for Lou Piniella to change his mind and put Alfonso Soriano back on top of the Cubs' lineup.
Piniella said Soriano will lead off on Thursday in the Cubs' series finale against the Milwaukee Brewers. Soriano is 0-for-9 with three strikeouts sofar. Last season, when he led off, the Cubs went 69-56.
The news came after the Cubs dropped to 0-2, losing, 8-2, to the Brewers on Wednesday.
"I don't think it matters where 'Sori' hits -- he's going to hit," Chicago's Derrek Lee said. "I can't say that'sgoing to get 'Sori' going or anything. It's just two games. 'Sori's' going to hit, he's going to be fine."
Was Lee surprised by the move?
"I guess I shouldn't be," Lee said, chuckling. "Lou likes to shuffle things around."
In Piniella's pregame media briefing, the manager seemed annoyed at questions about the Cubs' lineup and the fact that it was the same as on OpeningDay.
"We'll stay with this lineup as long as we can, and hopefully we don't have to change it," he said before Wednesday's first pitch,which just happened to clear the left-field bleachers as Rickie Weeks connected off Chicago's Ted Lilly.
Piniella said it wasn't just Wednesday's game that prompted him to change his mind and flip-flop Soriano with Ryan Theriot.
"It's something I've been thinking about since the end of Spring Training, and we'll go with it," Piniella said. "Soriano isrunning better. We'll put him in the leadoff hole, where he's more comfortable, and let him hit there."
CHICAGO -- It only took two games for Lou Piniella to change his mind and put Alfonso Soriano back on top of the Cubs' lineup.
Piniella said Soriano will lead off on Thursday in the Cubs' series finale against the Milwaukee Brewers. Soriano is 0-for-9 with three strikeouts sofar. Last season, when he led off, the Cubs went 69-56.
The news came after the Cubs dropped to 0-2, losing, 8-2, to the Brewers on Wednesday.
"I don't think it matters where 'Sori' hits -- he's going to hit," Chicago's Derrek Lee said. "I can't say that'sgoing to get 'Sori' going or anything. It's just two games. 'Sori's' going to hit, he's going to be fine."
Was Lee surprised by the move?
"I guess I shouldn't be," Lee said, chuckling. "Lou likes to shuffle things around."
In Piniella's pregame media briefing, the manager seemed annoyed at questions about the Cubs' lineup and the fact that it was the same as on OpeningDay.
"We'll stay with this lineup as long as we can, and hopefully we don't have to change it," he said before Wednesday's first pitch,which just happened to clear the left-field bleachers as Rickie Weeks connected off Chicago's Ted Lilly.
Piniella said it wasn't just Wednesday's game that prompted him to change his mind and flip-flop Soriano with Ryan Theriot.
"It's something I've been thinking about since the end of Spring Training, and we'll go with it," Piniella said. "Soriano isrunning better. We'll put him in the leadoff hole, where he's more comfortable, and let him hit there."
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ST. LOUIS -- Rick Ankiel showed off all five of baseball's archetypal tools on Wednesday night. If he masters the "seven skills" -- and after just 267 big league at-bats, he's getting there -- look out.
Ankiel does it all in win
Slugger shines on offense, defense in Cards' first victory
By Matthew Leach / MLB.com
http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/stl/ticketing/index.jsp
Save for an error in center field, Ankiel did it all in the Cardinals' 8-3 win over the Rockies. He collected three base hits, hit a home run, made a quality baserunning play and a spectacular catch, and showed off his throwing arm.
That's the five tools -- hitting for average, hitting for power, running, fielding and throwing -- all displayed in the space of three hours. That's a pretty exciting player.
"He's as natural as it gets playing baseball," said starting pitcher Todd Wellemeyer.
The seven skills include plate discipline and fielding broken into two areas: reliability and range. It's fair to say he showed six of the seven on Wednesday, and if not for the error, would have been perfect on that count as well.
Ankiel's pure ability to play the game is staggering, but even the most spectacularly talented player needs refinement as well. That's what stands out about Ankiel. He's polishing his game. He's learning strike zone judgment and learning how to work an at-bat. He's becoming a tougher out.
"He's a good player, man," said Ryan Ludwick, who has played with Ankiel at Triple-A Memphis and in St. Louis. "I've heard some people say they thought last year was a fluke and they want to see him do it again this year. He works too hard and he's too good of an athlete for good things not to happen to him. He's a great guy, just a great player."
Best of all for the Cardinals, Ankiel wasn't alone. Wellemeyer pitched five effective innings in his first start of the year, Ludwick had three hits and three RBIs, Albert Pujols reached base five times and the St. Louis bullpen bent a little but didn't break.
"Everybody helped, did something," manager Tony La Russa said.
Still, the story was Ankiel, who in his second Major League season as an outfielder continues to develop in all facets of the game.
He started with the arm, which is appropriate given his history. After Yorvit Torrealba doubled in the top of the second inning, Jayson Nix flied to Ankiel. The center fielder let go a bullet of a throw that hit third baseman Troy Glaus' glove for a strike on one hop, and Torrealba didn't even consider trying for the extra base.
"That throw he made from center field was a laser," La Russa said.
In his first time up, Ankiel quickly fell behind in the count, 0-2. But he fouled off four pitches, took a ball to get to 1-2, and laced a single up the middle for the first Cardinals hit of the game. He then motored aggressively to third base on Yadier Molina's single, putting himself in position to score when Adam Kennedy grounded into a force play.
In the top of the next inning, Ankiel showed off his range in the field, tracking down a Willy Taveras liner and making a spectacular diving catch.
"I'm just hoping he got a good jump on it," Wellemeyer said. "I know [Taveras] hit the ball well. After he caught that, I wanted to run out there and give him five, but I can't."
Brad Hawpe tied the game with a solo homer in the top of the fourth, but in the bottom half of the inning, Ankiel worked another deep count before matching Hawpe. He ripped a 2-2 offering from Cook 372 feet to right field, putting St. Louis back ahead for good.
Wellemeyer made the lead stand in the fifth, and the Cards added two more in the sixth. Ludwick hit an RBI triple and scored on Glaus' sacrifice fly.
"I started feeling better toward the end of spring," Ludwick said. "My timing started getting better. I started seeing the ball better and putting better swings on the ball. Tonight was a good night for me and the team."
Colorado pulled within a run, but the Cardinals tacked on four more runs in the eighth to put the game out of reach. It was the first game at new Busch Stadium not to sell out, ending a string of 165 consecutive regular-season sellouts in St. Louis. The last non-sellout was Sept. 28, 2005, at the previous Busch Stadium.
We should be 2-0, but hey
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Berkman's blast leads Astros to win
Three-run homer snaps 0-for-7 streak vs. Padres' Hoffman
By Alyson Footer / MLB.com
SAN DIEGO -- Heading into his at-bat in the ninth inning Wednesday, Lance Berkman was well aware that he was 0-for-something with several strikeouts lifetime against Padres closer Trevor Hoffman.
Lance Berkman said he didn't want to strike out on three pitches like he did Tuesday. (Lenny Ignelzi/AP)
Perhaps Berkman didn't know the exact numbers -- 0-for-7, four strikeouts -- but he remembered his most recent at-bat against the all-time saves leader, and didn't want to repeat recent history.
"I just wanted to not strike out on three pitches like I did last night," Berkman said.
Mission accomplished. PETCO Park is supposed to be a pitcher's haven, but on Wednesday, it served as a bandbox for both teams' hitters. No one benefited more than Berkman, who sent a towering three-run shot to the deepest part of the Padres' ballpark off Hoffman, sending the Astros to a 9-6 victory.
The Astros were one strike away from starting the season 0-3. The Padres were ahead, 6-5, with two outs in the ninth, and Hoffman had pinch-hitter Jose Cruz Jr. in a 1-2 count. Cruz took several close pitches, however, and finally drew a rally-sparking walk.
"I was trying to just see the ball," Cruz said. "Trust my eyes and what I'm seeing. I was able to see it and lay off and put together a good at-bat."
"That could be the biggest at-bat of the night, really," manager Cecil Cooper said.
Michael Bourn laced a single through the hole at second, and he advanced to third on Hunter Pence's base hit to right that scored Cruz. That set the stage for Berkman, who worked a 3-1 count and figured there was a 50-50 chance he'd see Hoffman's signature changeup.
Hoffman threw a fastball, and Berkman launched it to center field for his first home run of the year. The Astros' dugout erupted in euphoria, and later, the team let out a collective sigh of relief.
"It's huge," Berkman said. "Every point in the season has its moments and certainly for the early part of the season, this is a big thing for us. Whenever you can come back and fight ... they go up, we tie it, they go up again. You win a game late, off the guy that has the most saves in Major League history, that's something we can hang our hat on. It's a good confidence builder."
The Astros' offense barely made a showing in the first two games, but they had better luck against Greg Maddux, who gave up three of Houston's four home runs. The Astros recorded 11 hits, seven for extra bases.
"The bats woke up and had some big, big, big hits tonight," Cooper said. "We've got to ride the backs of people like [Carlos] Lee and Pence and Berkman and [Miguel] Tejada. We've got to ride those guys. They all came through tonight. That's what we're looking for."
Berkman's heroics weren't limited to the ninth inning. The Astros were down by a run in the eighth when he doubled off Joe Thatcher, stole third base and scored on Tejada's sacrifice fly, tying the game at 5.
"You've got to pick your spots when you're a guy such as myself," Berkman said. "One out, they've got a great bullpen, it's still going to be tough to score and [reliever Cla Meredith is] kind of slow to the plate. He holds the ball a little longer than normal. So I figured I had a decent chance to ambush him and it worked out that we could score a run without getting a hit, which turned out to be a pretty big play."
The Padres scratched out a run in the bottom of that inning against closer Jose Valverde, who had not pitched since the Astros' final exhibition game in Houston on Saturday. He yielded a leadoff hit to Michael Barrett, who moved to third on Jody Gerut's pinch-hit single to right. Brian Giles launched a fly ball deep to center, which gave Barrett plenty of time to score the tiebreaking run.
When Hoffman jogged in from the bullpen to his signature song, "Hells Bells," in the ninth, a sparse crowd of 18,714 had reason to believe the game would end in the home team's favor. The Astros did not downplay the significance of this win, even if the season is only three days old.
"It gives you [reporters] a little hope that we're not the worst team in the league," Berkman joked. "For us, anytime, especially early in the season, if you can kind of get a mentality where you're never out of the game even when it seems like there's long odds, you come back and win, it certainly breeds confidence for the next time we're in that situation.
"I've been on teams where we felt like we couldn't be beat no matter what the score was and I've been on teams like last year, where something bad happened, that was it. It's good for us to use this to get some confidence. We didn't want to start 0-3. This is a tough road trip so now we have a chance to salvage a split."
Nice win, offense came alive. we are going to need it if we want to win some games.
Wigginton's blast was a moon shot, hit the 3rd floor of the building in left field
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Yea, that was a nice game by the cards, now i dont feel as if the tickets i bought for the game on sunday will be for a game i dont think they can win. Theylook ALOT better than i thought they would, i also felt this way the year they won the World Series, soo maybe this is a good thing
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Originally Posted by pacmagic2002
Yea, that was a nice game by the cards, now i dont feel as if the tickets i bought for the game on sunday will be for a game i dont think they can win. They look ALOT better than i thought they would, i also felt this way the year they won the World Series, soo maybe this is a good thing
Changing your tune a bit?
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Rickie just sat Soto on his can.
theotherai9
Banned
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| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||
| Colorado | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | |||||||||||||||
| St. Louis | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 3 | 8 | 1 | ||||||||||||||
| WP: B. Thompson (1-0) S: J. Isringhausen (1) LP: U. Jimenez (0-1) |
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7 hits no runs?? That's mother-freakin pathetic.
Dumpster looking halfway decent today, I'm in shock.
EDIT - that Cueto kid looked impressive.
Dumpster looking halfway decent today, I'm in shock.
EDIT - that Cueto kid looked impressive.
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cubs looked good today....dempster had a good start
dacomeup
Supporter
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I'm super excited about this season. If Edwin can cut down on errors and produce like he did last night we can compete in this division.
By the way. . Cueto for ROY
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Starter tosses 6 2/3 scoreless innings in season debut
By Matthew Leach / MLB.com
ST. LOUIS -- Brad Thompson is no longer a one-trick pony.
Rick Ankiel puts the Cardinals on the board with an RBI single in the third. (Scott Rovak/Cardinals)
Thompson, making the 19th start of his Major League career, showed off a number of previously unseen facets of his game on Thursday, breezing past the Rockies in a 3-0 Cardinals win. Thompson used all three of his pitches to a degree he'd never managed before. He also showed a newly refined pickoff move and picked up his first career RBI.
"I want it to be [a game] that I can build on and keep going," Thompson said.
Thompson pitched 6 2/3 shutout innings against the reigning National League champions, allowing six hits and walking two. He struck out six Rockies, doubling his previous career high for a game. It was the first time in Thompson's career that he did not allow a run in a start.
"He pitched like he did all spring," said manager Tony La Russa "A lot of movement, used all different parts of the strike zone, mixed up his pitches, no pattern. He works quickly. He keeps the ball down. When the other guys get a base hit, he can mix in a double-play ball."
Long known almost exclusively as a sinkerball pitcher, Thompson concentrated on improving the quality of his secondary pitches this spring. He once pitched in a 10 a.m. ET simulated game with the express purpose of throwing changeups and breaking pitches.
All the work paid off. Of Thompson's six strikeouts, two came with his bread-and-butter sinker, two came on changeups and two came on breaking balls. Thompson's sinker got him to the Major Leagues, but it's having a full assortment that will make him the starter he wants to be.
"My changeup is as good as it's ever been," he said. "My breaking ball is good. I feel confident when those fingers go down that I can throw any of those pitches."
He helped himself in other ways besides his pitches, too. After Ryan Spilborghs led off the game by reaching base on an error, Thompson picked him off for the game's first out. It was his second career pickoff.
Todd Helton followed with a line drive to first base, but after that, Thompson's next 12 outs came either by strikeout or ground-ball out. He pounded the bottom of the strike zone, keeping his defense busy and happy and frustrating the Rockies.
"He reminds me of Kevin Brown. [Derek] Lowe, too," said shortstop Cesar Izturis, who played with both of those right-handers with the Dodgers. "Thompson gets the ball down a lot. Even his straight fastball is down. It's good. And I like him because he works quickly."
The Cardinals strung four consecutive singles together in the third inning to take a 2-0 lead, with RBIs coming from Rick Ankiel and Troy Glaus. Thompson added an RBI single in the fifth inning to stretch the lead. After two two-out walks, he poked a ball through the right side off of opposing starter Ubaldo Jimenez.
"I just got lucky and found a hole," he said. "It was nice to get that first RBI."
He was threatened once more, but was bailed out by his defense. Helton singled and Matt Holliday walked with two outs in the sixth, and Garrett Atkins singled to left.
Skip Schumaker fielded the ball and got rid of it quickly as Helton came home, but Schumaker's throw was up the first-base side. Catcher Jason LaRue had to sprawl out to catch it, then pounce back to tag Helton for the third out.
"He could have easily not even tried to throw the ball home, just to ensure that the guys didn't advance or anything like that," LaRue said. "But as soon as the play started to develop, he went to the ball hard, he went to his instincts and I was able to tag the guy out."
Thompson walked the leadoff hitter in the next inning, but got Jeff Baker to hit into a double play. Chris Iannetta doubled to chase him with two outs in the seventh, but Thompson had done his job. On a day when the Cardinals had only four available relievers, Thompson got deep into the game and provided the series win.
"For me, it's [about] having three pitches right now that I feel pretty comfortable with," Thompson said. "If a guy is up there and he doesn't know that you're going to throw a sinker every single pitch, he's got something in the back of his head and it really helps me out."
The Cardinals received a scare early in the game when Atkins accidentally stepped on Albert Pujols' hand on a play at third base. However, Pujols stayed in for the rest of the game.
Matthew Leach is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
We should be 3-0, but I am happy with this start
rhcp729
Banned
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just spent the last couple of days at busch. enjoyed both games, but we still don't look too spectacular. happy with the outcome of the series regardlessthough.
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Let me in here.....
[color= rgb(0, 51, 255)]Role reversal: Cubs turn tables on Crew
[/color]
Wood gets first save for impressive Dempster; Ramirez homers
CHICAGO -- For the last three years, Ryan Dempster has made starting pitchers nervous while he closes a game. On Thursday, Dempster was the one who couldbarely watch the ninth inning as Kerry Wood picked up his first save.
Dempster, making his first start in two years 10 months and 30 days, and Wood reversed roles on Thursday in the Cubs' 6-3 win over the MilwaukeeBrewers. Aramis Ramirez hit a solo homer and Alfonso Soriano, back in the leadoff spot, had two RBIs, while Wood picked up his first career save to help theCubs avoid being swept.
"Part of me was nervous," Dempster said about the ninth, which he watched from the clubhouse. "I could watch -- a couple pitches, I turnedaway. It was a good situation, a lot of energy. You could feel it -- you could feel the stands rocking and hear them chanting his name.
"It was really good for [Wood]," Dempster said of the right-hander, who has been slowed by shoulder injuries. "He's come a long way.He's battled a lot of things to be where he was 10 years ago to be where he is now. It's pretty remarkable what he's done, and to bounce back fromit, I'm happy for him."
Wood downplayed his first save.
"It doesn't mean anything," he said. "It's a good win for us. We needed to get a 'W' under our belts. It's nice to getthe first one out of the way."
Dempster (1-0), who had been the Cubs' closer the last three seasons, was making his first start since May 4, 2005, which also was against the Brewers.On Thursday, the right-hander struck out five and gave up two runs -- one earned -- on three hits and two walks.
"I think he's more relaxed," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said of Dempster, who won a spot in the rotation with a strong spring. "I thinkhe's more focused. He's got the pitches. He's done this before. He's more experienced, and he's got more pitches to work with. I expectDempster to pitch well for us all year."
His first game back as a starter didn't begin the way Dempster had planned. He walked Rickie Weeks, who reached third on Tony Gwynn Jr.'s double.Prince Fielder then flew out to right, and Kosuke Fukudome fired home, trying to one-hop the ball to catcher Geovany Soto. Weeks collided full-force with Soto,who was in the baseline, and knocked the catcher over.
Dempster retrieved the ball and flipped to Soto to try and get Gwynn, but the throw sailed past the catcher, and the Brewers had a 2-0 lead.
"As a starter, you can have a little blip like that but still be in the game," Dempster said. "It felt good to settle down and throw strikeone and get ahead of guys."
If he was still the closer, Dempster obviously wouldn't have pitched the first, but he also probably would have been pulled after giving up tworuns.
"It would've been a little different story," he said.
The Cubs tied the game in the second. Ramirez walked, reached third on Fukudome's double and scored on Mark DeRosa's single that zipped by thirdbaseman Bill Hall. Soto then hit a sacrifice fly.
It seemed as if it had been more than two years, not two games, since the Cubs' offense got going. Ramirez connected off Dave Bush (0-1) with one out inthe fifth for his first home run of the season. Soriano, who began the year batting second, drew a bases-loaded walk in the fourth to force in a run, hit anRBI single in the sixth and scored on Ryan Theriot's double.
"I felt more comfortable at home plate today," Soriano said.
Wood looked at ease in his new role. Since moving from the rotation to the bullpen, he has a 2.98 ERA in 34 relief appearances.
[color= rgb(0, 51, 255)]Role reversal: Cubs turn tables on Crew
[/color]
Wood gets first save for impressive Dempster; Ramirez homers
CHICAGO -- For the last three years, Ryan Dempster has made starting pitchers nervous while he closes a game. On Thursday, Dempster was the one who couldbarely watch the ninth inning as Kerry Wood picked up his first save.
Dempster, making his first start in two years 10 months and 30 days, and Wood reversed roles on Thursday in the Cubs' 6-3 win over the MilwaukeeBrewers. Aramis Ramirez hit a solo homer and Alfonso Soriano, back in the leadoff spot, had two RBIs, while Wood picked up his first career save to help theCubs avoid being swept.
"Part of me was nervous," Dempster said about the ninth, which he watched from the clubhouse. "I could watch -- a couple pitches, I turnedaway. It was a good situation, a lot of energy. You could feel it -- you could feel the stands rocking and hear them chanting his name.
"It was really good for [Wood]," Dempster said of the right-hander, who has been slowed by shoulder injuries. "He's come a long way.He's battled a lot of things to be where he was 10 years ago to be where he is now. It's pretty remarkable what he's done, and to bounce back fromit, I'm happy for him."
Wood downplayed his first save.
"It doesn't mean anything," he said. "It's a good win for us. We needed to get a 'W' under our belts. It's nice to getthe first one out of the way."
Dempster (1-0), who had been the Cubs' closer the last three seasons, was making his first start since May 4, 2005, which also was against the Brewers.On Thursday, the right-hander struck out five and gave up two runs -- one earned -- on three hits and two walks.
"I think he's more relaxed," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said of Dempster, who won a spot in the rotation with a strong spring. "I thinkhe's more focused. He's got the pitches. He's done this before. He's more experienced, and he's got more pitches to work with. I expectDempster to pitch well for us all year."
His first game back as a starter didn't begin the way Dempster had planned. He walked Rickie Weeks, who reached third on Tony Gwynn Jr.'s double.Prince Fielder then flew out to right, and Kosuke Fukudome fired home, trying to one-hop the ball to catcher Geovany Soto. Weeks collided full-force with Soto,who was in the baseline, and knocked the catcher over.
Dempster retrieved the ball and flipped to Soto to try and get Gwynn, but the throw sailed past the catcher, and the Brewers had a 2-0 lead.
"As a starter, you can have a little blip like that but still be in the game," Dempster said. "It felt good to settle down and throw strikeone and get ahead of guys."
If he was still the closer, Dempster obviously wouldn't have pitched the first, but he also probably would have been pulled after giving up tworuns.
"It would've been a little different story," he said.
The Cubs tied the game in the second. Ramirez walked, reached third on Fukudome's double and scored on Mark DeRosa's single that zipped by thirdbaseman Bill Hall. Soto then hit a sacrifice fly.
It seemed as if it had been more than two years, not two games, since the Cubs' offense got going. Ramirez connected off Dave Bush (0-1) with one out inthe fifth for his first home run of the season. Soriano, who began the year batting second, drew a bases-loaded walk in the fourth to force in a run, hit anRBI single in the sixth and scored on Ryan Theriot's double.
"I felt more comfortable at home plate today," Soriano said.
Wood looked at ease in his new role. Since moving from the rotation to the bullpen, he has a 2.98 ERA in 34 relief appearances.
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Always a good day when you beat the cubs
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Michael Bourn is no joke in center field.
Dude runs everything down, now only if he can learn how to get on base.
Dude runs everything down, now only if he can learn how to get on base.
