National League

ntinue to pitch the way they have this year, the Cubs would have one of the premier bullpens in the National League if they make the playoffs.  

8:58

Bottom 7th Inning ---- The Astros bring in a new reliever; Jeff Geary. DeRosa will get a pinch-hit opportunity. The Cubs were about 3 feet from a tie ballgame. Instead, Carlos Lee leaps and catches DeRosa's drive to left at the ivy. Still nothing to cheer about for the Cubs fans. 

Continue reading "LIVE game talk Cubs-Astros 8/4"

him All-Star Starter honors at catcher. He was the first rookie catcher to be a starter on the National League All-Star Team.   

PERSONAL INFO

Geovany Soto attended the American Military Academy. He is the cousin of Ramon Martinez, an ex-Cub. His child was born on October 24th 2007. His 2008 salary is $401,000. He learned English from watching TV shows such as Full House and Fresh Prince. His family moved from Puerto Rico to the Bronx when he was 3 years old; Then, they moved to Florida, and then back to Puerto Rico when he was 8 years old. He claims to be a perfectionist and would be an accountant if he was not a major league ballplayer. He won a $2,000 bet with Carlos Zambrano in 2007...the bet was to see who could reach the lowest body fat between the two. In fact, Soto lost 30 pounds in 2007. 

Continue reading "Meet the Cubs..... * Geovany Soto *"

’ve decided to name players to my inaugural All–Star team and I’ll start with the National League. So far there have been the usual suspects putting up solid first halves, and also some surprises that have shocked everyone with success.  So far in 2008, the season seems almost as a Bizarro season to steal Sports Illustrated’s mantra. The Rays and the Cubs have been pace setters, and the defending

Continue reading "Mic's National League All-Star Team"

How about that Jim Edmonds? Jimmy Ballgame. Jimmy Baseball. The Man, the Myth, the rival swapping Legend that is Jim Patrick Edmonds. Just a mere nine months ago he was a villain, walking through the halls of the nemesis kingdom that is St. Louis. I find it hard to believe that we've adopted him as our own, but I'm at peace with it, and you should be too.

Continue reading "It's Time to Accept Jim Edmonds"

Apropos of yesterday's blog, about the possibility--really at this point a good probability--of instant replay being used in MLB, this weekend's round of interleague play got me thinking about how the game's already been tweaked. And how the purists protested, to no avail, when interleague was first introduced in 1997, but how it's now become an unqualified success.

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They look like the best baseball team in the National League right now (obviously their record doesn't disagree), and after a 7-0 homestand this week, my baseball excitement is at its peak. I can't miss a Cubs game anymore. I make a point to try to watch or listen to every game, and I went to two games during the undefeated homestand. They have just been so entertaining to watch. Their play has been solid all around, and their offense has just been hilarious. Geovany Soto has been incredible, and he looks like he is going to be a legitimate NL all star catcher for years to come in the shadow of Mike Piazza.

Continue reading "Cubs Tearing Up the National League"

by a 1-0 score and they managed to score the tying run off Saito, one of the better closers in the National League.   This setup the Cubs 9th inning where Geovany Soto lofted a flyba

Continue reading "Portrait of a Gutty Performance : ..."

 HOUSTON DEFEATS CUBS 5-3 ON A CARLOS LEE HOME RUN AS HOUSTON TAKES SERIES

After the Cubs went 8-2 on their latest home stand which made their record at home 19-8, it seems as if they forgot how to play anywhere else.  After losing to the Astros 5-3 and losing the series, the Cubs find themselves 9-11 away from the friendly Confines.  If a team wants to find themselves in the post-season, they need to win the big games on the road.  In a series that had playoff atmosphere, both teams were out to make statements.  The Astros were louder than the Cubs according to Shawn Chaccon, who got the decision in the victory.  "One message the Cubs might get out of it is, 'We're here. We're here to compete. We're going to battle,'" Chacon said. "'It's not the team it was last year. Basically, it's going to be a tough team to beat the whole year.'"

Continue reading "After winning at home, Cubs continue ..."

Baseball purists--and my brother in particular--may have freaked out when I suggested in my post of May 7 that all leagues adopt the DH. This is one of the Great Debates of the Modern Game, and I enter it whenever possible. Nobody seems on the fence on this issue; everyone either loves it or hates it. Me, I love it.

Continue reading "Defending the Designated Hitter"

After another game where stranding base-runners has become a common theme, what Lou Piniella had the right words to sum up the Cubs recent slide, "Like I told my guys after the ballgame, make the other team beat you, don't just give it to them," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. "You play like that and you're going to lose quite a few of them, or most of them. Anyway, it's over with. Done."

Continue reading "Cubs lose 5-3 after having bases-loaded with 1 out"

as as recent as 2004 where Roger Clemens was at top of his game.  It was his first year in the National League while playing for the Houston Astros.  He ended up going 18-4 and eventually went on to win the

Continue reading "Legend of the Fall"