Most of the CCO Faithful are familiar with me and have read my thoughts, feels, ramblings, emotions and rambling emotions over the years.
The CCO is always evolving and growing, and in keeping with that theme, the headmaster decided he wanted to try a weekly dose of ME, every Tuesday. I hope to be funny, witty, entertaining and downright awesome. I am open to taking suggestions from anyone on topics or forums to discuss and opine so feel free to leave a comment below or drop me a line at brian@chicagocubsonline.com.
This week: An Embarrassment of Riches. Maybe. Hopefully. Possibly. We’ll See.
It is truly amazing how three days and three games can influence a fan. Optimism can be demolished. Hope can be crushed. Predictions undone. However, it can also work the other way and despair can become unbridled, blind love. And after three games in Milwaukee, that is exactly what happened to my view of the Cubs outfield.
Colvin was raking. Byrd was shaking. Soriano was taking and Fukudome was … okay, the rhyme is over, but you get the point.
What originally looked like a group of players cobbled together to hopefully resemble a big-league outfield might now actually look like, dare I say, a good big-league outfield.
One weekend does not a season make, but the offensive production on display at Wrigley North was a sight to behold.
Granted, there are plenty of detractors and non-idealists who can say what they will. Sure, the odds of Fukudome doing exactly what he has the last two years are high. Colvin has no baseline or previous production to help portend what is to come. Soriano is always day-to-day with everything and Byrd is hard to predict.
The production from last weekend cannot be counted on regularly, but knowing it exists is comforting and exciting. Hindsight is 20/20 and some could say Colvin’s play has made the Byrd signing look foolish, but his veteran presence is hard to quantify. He hustles. He cares. He tries. Unfortunately, those three things are not that common. When you find a player like that, hold on to them.
Whether or not Colvin keeps it up is to be seen, but having four outfielders that can play every day is never a problem. Also, if the 5th outfielder picks it up, there is an argument to be made that all five could start. Say what you will, but having four or five options is better than three.
Baseball is a streaky sport. Slumps are like taxes … they are basically guaranteed. When a team has multiple options in the field, it should be successful at avoiding some slumps and keeping the hot hitters in the lineup.
Now please understand that I write this all with a grain of salt. So, take it with said grain of salt as well. Three games will never promise anything. Milwaukee is a hitter’s park, and Suppan and Bush are not exactly Spahn and Sain. However, getting it done is all that matters and last weekend the Cubs outfield got it done.
There are still five months left in the baseball season, but I am a lot more confident about the Cubs outfield today than I was three weeks ago.
And I can hear many of you out there saying, “Just wait another three weeks and see how you feel then.” I know, I know.
Though it is happened to many, being a Cubs fan has not stripped me of my optimism. Again, I can hear many of you out there … “Just wait, Brian. Just wait.”
Like next year, we’ll see.
Feel free to drop me a line at brian@chicagocubsonline.com and until next time …
Stay Classy Cubs Fans!!