Cubs look to keep moving forward as All Star Break ends
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by Silencer76
After a painfully slow start on the North Side of Chicago, the Cubs headed into the All Star Break as the hottest team in the league the past five weeks. Not surprisingly, the Cubs torrid run began with the dugout fisticuffs involving Michael Barrett, since departed to San Diego, and ace of the staff Carlos Zambrano. The day after that was the tossing of Lou Piniella for "kicking" ump Mark Wegner. After that, the Cubs found their stride and have climbed above .500 and within striking distance of the Brewers, who threatened to run away and hide with the division the first six weeks of the season. Just 4.5 games separate the two clubs, and while that is the biggest divisional lead in the National League, the Cubs seem primed to take a run.
Sure, Derrek Lee has not regained the power stroke that made him a Triple Crown threat in 05, as he has just six homers at the break, but he is still 5th in the league in hitting at .330. He also is hitting .377 at Wrigley and has thrived with runners in scoring position. Aramis Ramirez has been solid, even with his stint on the disabled list in early to mid June, as he stands at .312 with 15 homers and a team leading 51 runs batted in despite only appearing in 67 of the club's first 87 games.
Alfonso Soriano had a blazing June after a slow first two months of the year. At the end of May, the Cubs 136 million dollar man had a mere four homers, and fans were wondering what the hell we shelled out all that cash for. Soriano came to life as the weather warmed though, slamming 11 long balls in June and taking the NL Player of the Month award. He still has not adjusted to hitting at Wrigley, hitting just .255 there as opposed to a whopping .354 on the road, but does have 43 extra base hits to his credit and his arm has made opposing teams think twice about tagging up on fly balls to left.
Mark DeRosa has been a pleasant surprise. I was a bit surprised at the cash that the Cubs handed him to plug the hole at second base, but he has proven to be a jack of all trades, and has been a clutch RBI man for the team. His average has climbed to .291 and his 49 RBI are second only to Ramirez on the club. If Lee, Soriano and Ramirez are the superstars, DeRosa is the unsung hero, the glue that has kept the club moving forward. I tip my cap to the guy, he has outperformed my expectations by far.
The biggest keys for the team has been the relative health of the rotation and the fact that the kids have performed. Zambrano has been nearly unhittable his last 7 or 8 starts, and will get the ball again Friday when the Cubs open the second half in a set with the Astros. Z has 10 wins, and has chopped a full run and a half off his ERA since Brawlball took place. Ted Lilly has been solid in his acquisition, Rich Hill has scuffled a bit of late but still is a decent pitcher, Jason Marquis needs to show that his early performance was the standard, not the aberration, and Sean Marshall has been nothing short of stellar in the fifth slot.
Even with Ryan Dempster on the DL of late, the team has been able to close games out with a plethora of different guys. Bob Howry, Will Ohman, and the rejuvenated Carlos Marmol, who has been lights out in the pen, have all made key contributions. Throw in the pending return of Kerry Wood near the end of the month, and Dempster due back after the break, and the bullpen could be one of the best in the NL after struggling mightily in May and June.
I hope Chicago can keep up the solid play that has brought them back to the race of the NL Central. Lou Piniella seems to have a firm grasp on the team and is ready to take them to the next level. After suffering through the debacle that was 2006, it is nice to see a winning attitude and some fire in the ball club. If Chicago stays healthy, and players perform to their potential, all hell could break loose come late September at the corner of Clark and Addison.
