It’s not an off day, but it is Thursday, and the Cubs will not be playing until much later tonight, so that can only mean one thing. Well, it could mean a lot of things, but in this case it means it time to get your ramble on. Technically, it would be my ramble, but let’s just get our collective ramble going in the column and in the comments. I am bringing it with a few of my opinions. I expect to take some heat. All is fair here.
So, let’s do this.
- First things first, Mike Quade will not be fired this year, nor should he be. The Cubs have played 23 games. TWENTY-THREE. There are 139 games left.
- Give the man some time. He didn’t assemble this team. He is working with what he was given.
- Granted, some things can be inferred after a month. I get that. But calling for a replacement is not right.
- If Soriano keeps up this homer pace, I have no problem with .240 or .250. Batting seventh and crushing the ball a few times a week if fine by me.
- I agree that Marlon Byrd should not bat third. I think we can all agree on that. But it appears that no matter who is hitting third, people will attack Quade for the sake of attacking Quade.
- This behavior is near-sighted and unfair. I am all for being critical, but in order for a criticism to be valid it has to be fair. There are plenty of fair criticisms out there. However, there are many unfair as well.
- So, who should bat third? Fukudome? Baker? Hey, they are both hitting over .400. There was a lot of hating going on with Jeff Baker, but he has played great this month and even hit righties.
- Yes, there are five months left, but I can only judge on 23 games. Clearly, this will not last, but should we ride the hot bats?
- And please know this, I’m not judging Baker on 23 games. Instead, I am just saying he’s hot right now. This is different than calling for the manager’s job after 23 games.
- I am happy that Russell shaved. That “face salad” was awful. But it wasn’t as bad as his performance as a starter.
- Quade called him a situational lefty after his second start. He got a third start. Clearly Quade doesn’t have full control. That might have been obvious before, but if not, it is obvious now. That had to be Hendry’s decision.
- And based on Quade’s comments on Russell, I do not think he agreed with his boss.
- Cutting 13 players and bringing up kids from the farm to replace them is not a solution, nor will it happen. Let’s move on from that idea.
- B.Jax is still above .300, but has cooled and had his average drop by more than 100 points in 10 days.
- I really wish I had the right answer for Tyler Colvin. I don’t. Sending him down could kill his confidence. Having him ride the bench is not going to work either. We will see what happens.
- Now I know I am fanning the flames, but bringing up one or two might not be a bad idea. It is time to see what one or two of the guys can do at the Major League Level.
- Yes, I tend to contradict myself, but that happens when I am just not sure how I feel. I want guys to have enough time, but the delusional, Cubbie-kool-aid- slamming-guy inside of me thinks one or two guys make this team a contender.
- The realist in me knows that is not accurate.
- Rob Whitenack is impressive. Let’s not rush him. He will not solve anything at this point, but I like what I have read about him and his performances. That is solid.
- The sarcasm about Hendry resigning Fukudome if he has a big year is funny. I am willing to bet a lot of money that this would never happen. The resigning that is.
- After reading that bullet again, I realized I needed to clarify that.
- Yea, I know, I am feisty today. Not sure what got into me. I hope you guys enjoy the fiery side. This is not like me.
Again, these are my thoughts and in no way represent the CCO. I fully expect to get ripped by plenty, and that is fair. But if you agree, feel free to say that as well. I have not joined in on some of the conversations so I wanted to share my thoughts. The game is not on until 8:30 so there will be plenty of time to have a friendly debate.
Let’s get at least three this weekend. And until next time …
Stay Classy Cubs Fans