Earlier this week, I joined up with Andrew Johnson and Will Brinson on the inaugural BaseCast to discuss the Cubs' unbelievably disappointing start to the 2009 season. To conclude the segment, I was asked if the Cubs can get things straightened out and win the division. I said that was an easy answer because of the word choice. Of course they can. Had the question been "will they?" I would have said no.
Just two days later, there are plenty of reasons on the horizon to believe they can head into the All-Star break not only in thick of things in the NL Central, but atop it. Wouldn't that be a weird sight -- seeing the Cubs in first place after such a disastrous first half.
In light of the recent offensive woes of the entire team -- namely Mike Fontenot, though -- Cubs manager Lou Piniella admitted it's a possibility to move Alfonso Soriano to second base. He did say it was a "last resort," but possible. You might recall Soriano played the majority of his early career at second, however, he's only played there for two innings since his move to the National League in 2006.
Moving Soriano to second base would give a huge boost to the Cubs' offense -- which just scored a meek two runs in a three-game series at St. Louis -- by enabling Micah Hoffpauir everyday at-bats in left field. Fontenot, along with Bobby Scales and Aaron Miles, would still be able to accrue at-bats at third base until Aramis Ramirez is healed.
Through the first 36 games of the season, it's been quite the bumpy ride for the Cubs. They've gone through as much adversity as they faced during the entire 97-win campaign that was the 2008 regular season. There have been myriad injuries, a suspension, many players suffering through extended slumps, excessive booing by the fans, bullpen meltdowns, and a much, much tougher division.
And yet, Lou Piniella's troops are 21-15. You know what their record was after 36 games in 2008? An identical 21-15.
From the Windup is Matt Snyder's extended look at some aspect of America's pastime each Thursday.
I think we can all agree that it's far too early to start voting upon who the best 2009 players are when it's only the middle of May. That being said, there are certainly some shining stars at this point who deserve some props. Plus, Major League Baseball recently released their All-Star ballots for our voting pleasure -- we vote on who will start the All-Star Game. If that's not important, I don't know what is. Let's take a gander.
Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's action, with a quick nod to what's ahead.
You Oughta Know... That instant replay has been in use in the majors for reviewing homers since last August, but there had not been a single home run taken away until Wednesday.
And then it happened twice.
First, Pittsburgh's Adam LaRoche hit a first-inning drive that was initially ruled a three-run homer. After umpires checked the replay, they determined that the ball had not cleared the fence, and LaRoche instead had a two-run double.
A few hours later, in Milwaukee, Marlins pinch-hitter Ross Gload had a would-be solo homer reversed.
Wednesday night in Houston, the Cubs prevailed, 6-3. During the process of the victory, they continually encountered a welcome circumstance: they were cheered the entire game by a large contingent of Cubs fans. It was definitely welcome after hearing more boos than cheers at home thus far this season, despite having an 8-6 home record and only trailing the Cardinals by 2 1/2 games -- and the fact that it's the first week of May.
Maybe the home fans need a break from the boys in blue, because the Cubs fans in the Houston area seemed to love the Cubs' every move. Alfonso Sorianohas a (really lame) theory:
From the Windup is Matt Snyder's extended look at some aspect of America's pastime each Thursday.
Last Sunday, Alfonso Soriano was hit in the head by a pitch off the hand of Cardinals starter Todd Wellemeyer. Later in the game, Cubs starting pitcher Rich Harden hit Albert Pujols in the middle of the back. It was a fastball, and it was on the first pitch of the at-bat. There was no one on base, and the Cubs had a big lead. Translation: Pujols was hit by Harden in retaliation for Soriano's beaning.
Monday, Ryan Braun was apparently dotted on purpose by Jeff Karstens of the Pirates, but the Brewers didn't get a chance to retaliate, because the umpiring crew offered an immediate warning to both benches.
Categorically Speaking is designed specifically for Rotisserie GM's. The information is great for all fantasy baseball formats, but for those of you who could use some help bolstering a specific roto category, this is for you. We're going to pay close attention to players who might be readily available on your waiver wire or who you might target in non-blockbuster trade talks.
So, your fantasy baseball team isn't doing so well, huh? We've all been there. Either your hitters are all cold at the same time or your pitchers are getting shelled. Nothing seems to be going right.
Look at the bright side. It's only the end of April. There are five good, solid months left for your team to recover. And, one of the ways to try and make that recovery is to focus on rotisserie categories that you may be deficient in.
If you know that you're getting killed in runs scored but doing well in the other categories, then it may be time to find some run scorers without hurting your other stat categories. The same can be said for each of the stat categories your league uses.
Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.
Some NL-Only owners last night got a nice little (understatement) boost in steals last night, assuming that's where Dexter Fowler is mostly owned. The fleet-footed 23 year-old rookie stole 5 bases in the first five innings against the Padres -- giving him a National League-best 9 on the season.
Unbelievably, as noted in this morning's Starting Five, Fowler didn't even set a team record and it hasn't even been a full year since a Rockies' player had 5 steals. That doesn't mean it's common, though. Only 17 players have done so since 1954.
Earlier this week, I joined up with Andrew Johnson and Will Brinson on the inaugural BaseCast to discuss the Cubs' unbelievably disappointing start to the 2009 season. To conclude the segment, I was asked if the Cubs can get things straightened out and win the division. I said that was an easy answer because of the word choice. Of course they can. Had the question been "will they?" I would have said no. 
After the Cubs finally broke their crippling eight-game losing streak Tuesday, they made a 
In light of the recent offensive woes of the entire team -- namely Mike Fontenot, though -- Cubs manager 
Starting Five
Wednesday night in Houston, the Cubs prevailed, 6-3. During the process of the victory, they continually encountered a welcome circumstance: they were cheered the entire game by a large contingent of Cubs fans. It was definitely welcome after hearing more boos than cheers at home thus far this season, despite having an 8-6 home record and only trailing the Cardinals by 2 1/2 games -- and the fact that it's the first week of May. 
Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the 
