Not since the mighty swings of Mark Bellhorn have I been so enthused by a 20-something second baseman in a Cubs uniform, as I am currently with "Mighty" Mike Fontenot. Sure, it has only been 70 at-bats, but this guy is playing more like Ryne Sandberg than Ronny Cedeno.
Perhaps due to the spark provided by Fontenot, or perhaps because the team is just finally getting into a rhythm, the Cubs are playing their best baseball of the year. Are we setting ourselves up for a fall, though? Are the Cheese Curds simply too much of a juggernaut for the Cubs to catch? You know better....
Today's Lineup Card....
While not perfectly set in stone, Piniella seems to be finding more consistency in his lineup, which I believe is key. He is also sticking with the hot hand, which I like as well. Moving Felix Pie out of the #2 hole will hurt Pie's production. by not giving him the great protection afforded when one hits between Alfonso Soriano and Derrek Lee, but this move needed to be done. Pie needed to be moved because he wasn't producing at a high enough level to justify keeping him at such a valuable spot in the order. The #2 guy needs to be able to make contact consistently, bunt if needed, and get on base for Lee and Aramis Ramirez to drive in.
While it has been obvious that the pitching staff has responded favorably to the departure of Michael Barrett, and his substandard defense and pitch-calling, it remains to be seen what the long-term offensive impact of this move will be. I have maintained, and will continue to maintain, that our 5-8 spots in the lineup, currently, give me pause, and are a cause for concern. Typically these spots are filled by the likes of Theriot, Izturis, DeRosa, Bowen, Koyie Hill, Pagan, and Pie. All of these guys are not established everyday players....period. That is 50% of your lineup, and therefore your offense (not counting the pitcher, which is always a wildcard) that you are gambling on unproven talent.
How do we fix this? First, leave Pie in the lineup. Pagan has been good filling in, but he is not the answer to our everyday CF needs, and I think all the Cubs Faithful knows this deep down. I like injecting Pie into the bottom of the order, because I think he has more power potential (which includes doubles and triples....not just homeruns) than any of our catchers, as well as Theriot and Pagan, in my opinion. So hopefully Pie will continue to improve, but Lou has to let him get regular at-bats to really see improvement.
The other way to improve the bottom of the order is to stick with any combination of Fontenot, Theriot, and DeRosa, over using Izturis. I have not seen the unbelievable defensive shortstop that he was hyped to be, so if he is not going to be Ozzie Smith, but he will hit like Ozzie Smith, then I would rather he ride the bench. The other three seem to do a good-to-above-average job on defense, so their offense is more valuable than Izzy's glove, at this point.
The final thing needed to improve the bottom of the order is to trade for a new catcher, that is decent defensively, but also has a decent bat. This is where scouting comes into play, which is supposed to be Jim Hendry's strength, and I have to believe there are some teams out there with two good catchers on the roster, or more, and we should be entering trade talks with them ASAP. Maybe Bowen or Hill will light up offensively like Fontenot, but it seems a bit much to hope for.
Don't Let Me Down....
Will Fontenot fade? Maybe. I think it is a safe bet he won't challenge Ted Williams' high mark for a season average, so he does have to come down to Earth at some point. Listen....we went through this with Corey Patterson, with Ronny Cedeno, and with Ryan Theriot....each gave us a reason to believe they were legit, and then struggled afterwards. Patterson is gone, so we will never know, but perhaps Cedeno will be the offensive version of Rich Hill, and his production at the AAA level will finally make the transition over to the major league level. Or perhaps we will see Theriot heat back up, and finish the year strong, cementing his spot in the starting lineup for the next few years.
The key word here, is maybe. It is "maybe" because none of these guys are proven, which worries me. By all means, give them a chance, but it would be nice for Hendry to get another quality bat, or two, in the middle infield and catcher positions, to help us overtake the pesky Cheese Curds and win the division.
That is, of course, if the Cubs are still allowed to make deals and spend money? I don't care what Corporate-speak comes out of Hendry's mouth, it seems apparent the Cubs are being affected by the sale of the team, otherwise I believe Zambrano would be resigned already, Jones would already have been traded, and we would have some better options at catcher.
Final Thoughts....
Gotta love this winning streak....I hope I didn't just jinx it! Zambrano is pitching like we knew he could, and is quashing any concerns about his arm/shoulder being worn out....he deserves a nice extension, and the longer Hendry waits, the more expensive it will become. Sean Marshall has been tremendous, and I currently have more faith in him than I do Rich Hill, which is amazing because I still think Rich Hill is legit, too! Do the Chicago Cubs really have three quality left-handed starters in their rotation? What a difference a year makes! Until next time, CCO readers, let's hope a little help is on the way, that Fontenot never slows down, and let's go Cubs!
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Jason, I agree with you that Pie needs to be in the lineup everyday, and we need to stay with a Theriot, Fontenot, and DeRosa combination in the middle.
But as for trading for a new middle infielder or catcher, not now, this team is gelling and playing great ball so if it aint broke, don't fix it, and right now it Ain't broke.
One quick prediction I think after the break the Sewers are going to find them sleves in a little funk, actually it could even start before the break, like say, starting this weekend. Go Cubs it is going to be a fun weekend for baseball.
Jason:
Excelent title and good question.
Lets face it, this was a suppose to be a veteran saturated team with the exception of the inevetable callup of felix Pie. I get the feeling that Sam Zell
is kind of like the owner from the fictional major league movie. In order for the Cubs to pull this off
it is going to take IA/TN shuttle to send in the reinforcements. The only trades that I see Hendry making would be the exchange of bad contracts. Kind of like the Todd Hundley to L.A. for Karros/Grudzielanak a few years ago.
Jim (from TP),
That is just the type of trade we need...perhaps for a catcher named Jason Kendall? Normally a .300 hitter, and a leader in the clubhouse, he is overpaid, and struggling, and the A's have injuries, and love pitching prospects (and perhaps we unload Jacque on them, due to Piazza's injury). Kendall flourished in the NL in his Pittsburgh days, so it would be worth a shot!
nick,
If you are not proactive, and the team cools down, you wind up with the Phil Nevins and Freddie Bynums of the world, instead of players that could actually help you out, such as the Kenny Loftons and Aramis Ramirezs.
We had better records in 2003 and 2004 when Hendry traded for Ramirez/Lofton and Nomar, respectively...this is the Trader Jim we need back in action now.
I wouuldn't mind seeing the cubs ditch Jones for Shea Hillenbrand. Hillenbrand can play 1b/3b. Lets face it, we have no right handed sock off the bench.
I know this is sort of Phil Nevins redux buy were not going to get a splash like junior, Adam Dunn,
Miguel Tejada etc.
Jason, I will agree with you, if we can get a catcher, I am up for that, I would love to have Kendall. As much as I like Hill and his good game calling and defence, I just don't see the bat being there, though he has came up with some clutch hits as of late.
Koyie Hill is my catcher over any other right now.[except Pudge/Victor Martinez] He was called up because of the way he can swing and hopefully he shows it. He has been nothing short of spectacular so don't under estimate him because of his average. That coul'd change very rapidly.
Also I know people like Kendall, but that guy has been really bad ofensively the last couple of years and I believe his best days are now gone.
I would leave Blanco on the DL for the rest of the season and stay with the two we have.
As far as the middle infield goes though I wouldn't touch that with a ten foot pole, I know DeRosa used to be nothing but a career backup, but last year as a starter he had a very good year, and so far this year, except for a little slump, he has hit good, and he has made some great plays on defense. As for Theriot, I hope he comes out of the slump, which I think he will, and Fontenot, well he has done nothing but make great plays on Defense and hit for some power, hit for average, and hit in clutch situations. I think our middle infield is pretty solid with those three.
If the Yankees continue to slide, don't you think we will hear A-Rod's name again in the media?
Gene. The Cubs are not going after A-Rod in a trade. Nuff said.
Jason, Pie K's way too much to be at the 2-hole. With Soriano already strikeout prone, you're just asking for trouble. His swing is too long as of now. See how Fontenot's swing is nice, compact, and quick...that's what Pie's swing should look like.
As long as Fontenot keeps raking, he should stay in the two hole.
LOL, trade for another catcher...because the market is just brimming with them. I think Hendry's catcher trade w/ Barrett was the last we're gonna see of him and that position.
In your article you keep saying 'unproven this" and "unproven that". Well the only way someone is gonna prove themselves is through major league experience, so let the damn young players play, and continue to get their experience without blabbing about how we need to trade for 89 year old overpriced free agents. I like that the Cubs are actually dipping into their farm system instead of mimicking the NYY.
We've got our future catcher right down here in my neck of the woods with the Iowa Cubs. Geovany Soto is close to being ready for the big leagues, if not ready to go right now. He's hitting .327 with 10 HR and 47 RBI this year. His OBP is .397 and his OPS is .964. And as a right handed hitter, he's batting .341 against righties. IMO he's a much better prospect than both Hill and Bowen. I'm guessing that whenever either one of them slips, he'll be called up. And he may not leave either.
There's no need to make a move for another catcher with Soto waiting in the wings. He may be the best catching prospect the Cubs have ever had.
The only tweeking I see that this team needs is a consistant veteran lefty out of the pen (not easily found), and maybe another infieder with above average power. If Ramirez can stay healthy (knee) , than we may not need the infielder. As for Jason Kendall, nope. I have no problem with a good defensive catcher behind the dish. A catcher is on the field to save runs, and that is what I've already seen from Koyie Hill. I do agree with Jason that you must always keep your eyes open to get better, as complacency has never worked for this team. But I just can't be convinced that another catcher is needed.