Wow, what a response. We received HUNDREDS of posts and e-mails on home remedies for a sore throat--everything from gargling w/salt water to a "5th of whatever" to wrapping peppered bacon around your throat. Just goes to show you how great and caring Cub fans are. So, thank you for all your wonderful responses. Probably the most sensible were--get some rest and drink lots of fluids, which I'm definitely doing. My wife did put together some sort of elixir earlier in the week that had honey and garlic in it (tasted awful, but it supposedly works!). That and some antibiotics and I hopefully will be ready to go Friday night in Pittsburgh.

Dan Roan, the best sportscaster in town who does a great job on
play-by-play, is filling in for me today. Hopefully he calls a winner along with BB.

Again, thanks for the great tips on getting my throat/voice back to
100%. You're the best!

Len

Obviously, one of the players we will be watching closely the rest of the season is Matt Murton. Since coming to the Cubs organization, it's good news that he has hit at every level this year, including the big leagues. A lot of baseball people will tell you that the biggest jump that you have as a player is from Double-A to Triple-A. Usually at the Double-A level and below, you're seeing other minor leaguers who are near your age and experience. You get to Triple-A and suddenly you're up against guys who maybe are coming on their way back down from the major leagues and have had a little bit of a taste of it. Some of them are working their way back after an injury or demotion. Matt has handled all the transitions well.

One thing we talked about last night is that he seems to do a great job of getting into a hitter's count in most of his at-bats. That's a by-product of his quick swing. Guys with long swings have to get their bat started early and consequently, can swing at a lot of bad pitches. Matt Murton has such a short, quick approach to the ball that he can wait a long time and really recognize pitches and lay off those that are out of the zone.

We saw him get another infield hit last night, too. Guys that hit for a high average, no matter what level you are playing at, get their share of hits like that -high bouncers off the plate, slow rollers they can leg out. Matt Murton is not an exception - he gets a lot of those, but he also gets a lot of clean line drive base hits.

Bob

AAA - Iowa Cubs (63-70)
*Iowa was routed 11-5 by Omaha.
*Jon Leicester took the loss, giving up 7 runs in 5/2 innings.
*RF Dave Kelton was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.
*Catcher Mark Johnson went 2-for-4 with a pair of singles and an RBI.

AA - West Tennesseee Diamond Jaxx (35-29)
*West Tenn lost to Birmingham 11-6.
*Outfielder Adam Greenberg went 2-for-5 with a stolen base and a strikeout.
*2B Eric Patterson was 3-for-4 with a stolen base.
*Diamond Jaxx right-hander Victor Ramos surrendered four runs in 0.1 innings of relief, suffering his second loss of the season.

A - Daytona Cubs (31-32)
*Daytona was edged by Palm Beach 5-2.
*LF Jeff Culpepper was 2-for-4 on the night with a pair of singles.
*3B Scott Moore went 1-for-4 with 2 RBI.

A - Peoria Chiefs (30-34)
*Peoria was shut out by Beloit 6-0.
*Angel Guzman started and took the loss. He pitched 3.1 innings, gave up 4 hits and 3 runs.
*DH Steve Harris and LF Jesse Schmidt each went 1-for-4 with a double in the game.

A - Boise Hawks (30-38)
*Boise beat Tri-City 9-6.
*1B Chris Gaskin went 3-for-3 with a double and 2 RBI.
*LF Jesus Valdez was 3-for-4 with a double, homer and 4 RBI.

Hey Everybody, well, it's that time of the year when little nagging
injuries occur on the field...and weak voices occasionally in the booth I guess! Caught a sore throat the other day and it's been nagging me the last couple days. Thought we'd throw out the topic and see if anyone has any interesting "home" remedies. Feel free to post them and we'll do some on the air tonight. My partner has graciously agreed to help me with some of the promotional announcements so that should be fun.

Kudos to Dr. Adams (Cubs team physician) for helping me stay on top of this thing.

Len

* Although the Dodgers were swept by the Cubs in Los Angeles earlier this season, they have to be excited about playing at Wrigley Field. The Dodgers have won each of their last three series in Chicago, as well as Monday’s series opener.

Dodgers vs. Cubs at Wrigley Field – Since 2002

Dodgers Cubs
Wins 8 2
Runs/Game 5.8 (58/10) 2.6 (26/10)
Relief ERA 2.66 (6/20.1) 6.90 (23/30.0)
Batting Avg .293 (104/355) .209 (67/321)
BA w/RISP .336 (36/107) .149 (7/47)
Errors 3 11
Runs, Inning 7+ 22 6

* In fact, no National League opponent has a better record against the Cubs at Wrigley Field since 2002 than these Dodgers.

Highest Win% at Wrigley Field – NL Opponents Since 2002

W-L Pct.
Los Angeles Dodgers 8-2 .800
Atlanta Braves 8-4 .667
Philadelphia Phillies 8-4 .667
San Diego Padres 8-4 .667
Arizona Diamondbacks 8-5 .615

* For the Dodgers to win, it seems almost imperative that Jeff Kent is hitting and knocking in runs.

Jeff Kent in Wins and in Losses, 2005

Wins Losses
Games 57 66
Batting Avg .370 (78/211) .225 (55/244)
Home Runs 17 6
RBI 68 20
Runs 58 22
SLG .711 .340

* Since his first game on July 29th, rookie catcher Dioner Navarro has been among the league’s top offensive backstops, joining the Cubs’ Michael Barrett.

Most Hits by Catcher Since July 29 – NL

Michael Barrett, ChC 25
Miguel Olivo, SD 24
Dioner Navarro, LAD 23
Ryan Doumit, Pit 22
Brad Ausmus, Hou 20

* For Brad Penny, one key to success has been surviving the first two innings without much damage.

Brad Penny Performance by Inning, 2005

Innings 1-2 Inning 3+
ERA 4.69 (25/48.0) 3.32 (38/103.0)
Opp. BA .301 (59/196) .253 (100/396)
K/BB 1.9 (31/16) 4.2 (71/17)

* Look for Mark Prior to bring his good stuff to the hill. He’s been excellent in his career when facing an NL West opponent.

Mark Prior Career vs. NL West Opponents

GS 15
W-L 9-1
ERA 2.63 (28/96.0)
Opp. BA .234 (83/354)
K/9 10.5 (112/96.0)

* Prior has allowed three runs or fewer in all 12 of his home starts this year, and in 13 consecutive starts at Wrigley dating to last season.

Most Consecutive Home Starts Allowing 3 Runs or Less, MLB

Mark Prior, ChC 13
John Patterson, Was 9
Andy Pettitte, Hou 9
Carlos Zambrano, ChC 7
Brad Radke, Min 7

* Derrek Lee may rank behind Andruw Jones in total home runs, but he leads the major leagues in home runs to tie the game or give his team the lead.

Most HR to Tie Game or Give Team Lead, 2005 MLB

Derrek Lee, ChC 17
Ken Griffey Jr., Cin 16
Alex Rodriguez, NYY 16
Albert Pujols, StL 16
Carlos Delgado, Fla 15

AAA - Iowa Cubs (63-69)
*Iowa beat Omaha 4-1 in the opening game of a four-game set.
*LHP John Koronka started and picked up a win with 8 innings of work, allowing 1 run.
*RF Dave Kelton went 2-for-5 with a double, homer (11)and a pair of runs scored.
*Cub closer Jermaine Van Buren earned his 25th save of the season in 1.0 inning of scoreless relief.
*2B Richard Lewis was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.
*Iowa closer Jermaine Van Buren was named to the Pacific Coast League All-Star team. Van Buren has 25 saves in 52 relief appearances spanning over 54.2 innings. He was called up to the Cubs late last night.

AA - West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx (35-28)
*Despite giving up 10 late-inning runs, West Tenn beat Chattanooga 12-10. Diamond Jaxx starter Ricky Nolasco set a team record with his 13th win (13-3). 1B Brandon Sing also set a team record for walks in a season with 84.
*Outfielder Adam Greenberg was 0-for-1 with a walk, RBI and three runs scored.
*3B Casey McGehee went 2-for-3 with a homer and 6 RBI.
*1B Brandon Sing had a pair of walks with a double and three runs scored on the night, going 2-for-3.

A - Daytona Cubs (31-31)
*Daytona beat Palm Beach 3-1 to get to the .500 mark.
*RHP Randy Wells went six innings on the night to pick up the win (10-2).
*1B Brian Dopirak went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles and 2 RBI.
*CF Chris Walker was 1-for-2 on the night with a pair of runs scored and two stolen bases.

A - Peoria Chiefs (30-33)
*Peoria edged Beloit 2-1.
*Chief right-hander Mike Hyle picked up his first win of the season in 1.2 innings of scoreless relief.
*CF Sam Fuld was 1-for-4 with a triple and a run scored.

A - Boise Hawks (29-38)
*Boise lost to Tri-City 5-2.
*1B Chris Gaskin went 2-for-4 with a pair of singles and a runs scored.
*LF Jesus Valdez was 1-for-3 with in the game with a double and an RBI.

The Cubs paid tribute to Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg by retiring his jersey in a stirring pre-game ceremony at Wrigley Field yesterday. Ryno's #23 now hangs forever on the right field foul pole.

One of the hot topics on and off the air the past few days has been the notion of how to play the rest of the season. Dusty has talked about because of respect for the teams that are still in the race (and I recognize that the Cubs aren't totally out of it, but we all know their chances are dwindling), the Cubs have to put their best team on the field. Even should the Cubs fall further out of the wild card race, they are going to be playing against some teams who do have something to play for. You have an obligation to run the best team out there that you can and try to win the ballgame.

Now, of course the concerns of your organization at some point also have to take priority. That "best team" in the interests of the organization may not be Kerry Wood or Nomar Garciaparra or Aramis Ramirez. With roster expansion on September 1, some guys are going to get opportunities one way or another. It's a delicate balancing act, but the Cubs owe it Major League Baseball and their opponents to try and field as strong a team as possible

Bob

* Jeff Weaver beat Roger Clemens and the Astros 1-0 yesterday to take two of three from Houston over the weekend at Dodger Stadium.
* With their win over the Marlins yesterday, the Cubs broke a 3-game losing streak. Chicago is just 2-6 in its last eight games.
* The Cubs swept the Dodgers three straight earlier this season in Los Angeles. However, the Dodgers have taken each of the last three series at Wrigley Field, going 7-2 in the process.
* Cesar Izturis was placed on the DL yesterday with a lower back sprain (retroactive to 8/23). His replacement, Oscar Robles had the game-winning RBI in yesterday’s win over Houston.
* D.J. Houlton is 0-6 with a 4.32 ERA in his last nine appearances (eight starts). This will be his first career start vs. the Cubs.
* Jerome Williams is 4-4 with a 4.29 ERA since joining the Cubs. In three career starts vs. the Dodgers, Williams is 2-1 with a 2.75 ERA.
* After this series, Los Angeles plays 25 of its final 29 games against NL West foes.
* Derrek Lee had three hits in yesterday’s win to increase his batting average lead over Albert Pujols to 15 points (.349 to .334). Lee needs just four more RBI to tie his career-high for one season (98) set in 2004.

AAA - Iowa Cubs (62-69)
*Iowa resumes play today against Omaha.

AA - West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx (34-28)
*Game #1: West Tenn edged Chattanooga 3-2 in a game continued from Saturday.
*Diamond Jaxx reliever Jon Searles picked his sixth win of the season despite giving up two runs in 4.0 innings of relief.
*RF Adam Greenberg went 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored.
*SS Ryan Theriot was 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI.

*Game #2: West Tenn lost 5-2 to Chattanooga in the tail-end of the doubleheader.

*2B Eric Patterson went 0-for-1 with a walk and an RBI in three plate appearances in his first game with West Tenn since being promoted.
*RF Adam Greenberg walked three times in the game.

A - Daytona Cubs (30-31)
*Daytona resumes play today against Palm Beach.

A - Peoria Chiefs (28-33)
*Peoria pitcher Sean Gallagher picked up his 14th win of the season as the Chiefs beat West Michigan 4-1.
*LF Jesse Schmidt went 3-for-4 with a double and 2 RBI.
*CF Sam Fuld was 2-for-4 with a double and a pair of runs scored.

A - Boise Hawks (29-37)
*Three Boise pitchers combined for a 2-hit shut out in a 4-0 win over Tri-City.
*Hawk left-hander Ryan Chambers picked up his first win of the season in 3.2 innings of scoreless relief.
*RF John Defendis went 3-for-4 with a double.
*DH Kyle Reynolds was 2-for-4 with a triple and an RBI.

The Cubs are at the point where they're starting to talk about looking ahead to next year and with that in mind, a few things to consider coming up as we hit September next week.

1) The Cubs might be close to shutting down Kerry Wood, who is expected to have a clean-up operation on his right shoulder, with an eye towards a completely healthy return to next year's starting rotation.

2) Aramis Ramirez - will his quad be at the point in a couple weeks
where the Cubs feel comfortable he can come back in the final few weeks and not cause further damage? He has said he doesn't want his season to be over - hey, any pro wants to be on the field as much as possible regardless of what it means personally. There's a pride factor and you want to play for your teammates and most importantly the fans, who pay a lot of money to see the best product on the field. However, this will come down to his health, first and foremost. And if the quad doesn't improve to the point where he is at least close to 100%, I could see the Cubs shutting him down as well.

3) The young guys - we'll see Matt Murton back here soon and with Matt Lawton gone, there will be some playing time in LF in September. I'm curious so see how Murton does vs. RHPs. He's been terrific vs. LHs. Ronny Cedeno should get some good reps at shortstop as well. It's tough to judge guys in September, but we might get a glimpse of the future a little bit in the final month.

4) Trades - will Jim Hendry make any more deals for prospects,
considering a bunch of other teams might be interested in a veteran or two, as the Yankees were in Matt Lawton?

5) The Cubs still want to win as many games as they can and while they likely won't come close to last year's win total, a .500 record is possible if the Cubs can finish hot and also a 3rd-place finish is well within reach. Catching Houston might be out of the question, but the Cubs certainly want to finish ahead of Milwaukee and Cincinnati.

Looking forward to the Ryno ceremony today. And it should be a great
pitching matchup - Beckett and Zambrano. We'll see you at 12:30.

Len

*Carlos Zambrano (10-5, 3.03) tries to end the Cubs losing streak today on WGN-TV, facing the Marlins' Josh Beckett (12-7, 3.45).
*Zambrano had a no-decision Monday night at Wrigley against the Braves, allowing only 3 hits in 8 innings, one of them a two-run HR by Chipper Jones.
*Zambrano has worked at least 6 innings in 20 of his 26 starts.
*The Cubs are at 61-68 after yesterday's loss - 7 games under .500 is a new low point for this season.
*The Cubs are 10-23 against the NL East this season. Today's game with Florida is the last contest of the year against the NL East.
*The Cubs are second in the National League with 157 homers, but didn't homer yesterday. In their 42 homerless contests this year, the team is hitting .234, averaging only 2.5 runs per game. Their record in those games is 11-31.
*Veteran third baseman Scott McClain joins the club from Iowa off a 30 HR season in AAA.

AAA - Iowa Cubs (62-69)
*The final three games of the series between Iowa and New Orleans have been cancelled due to the approaching hurricane.

AA - West Tennessee (33-27)
*West Tenn pitcher Renyel Pinto pitched a complete game 3-hit shutout in a 3-0 win over Chattanooga.
*RF Adam Greenberg went 0-for-4 on the night with two strikeouts.
*CF Buck Coats was 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI.
*2B Aaron Sisk went 2-for-4 with a double and a pair of runs scored.

A - Daytona Cubs (30-31)
*Daytona routed St. Lucie 9-1.
*JR Mathes (10-8) threw 7 shutout innings to pick up the win.
*3B Scott Moore went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and two RBI.
*Catcher Jacob Fox was 3-for-5 with a homer, 4 RBI and two runs scored.

A - Peoria Chiefs (27-33)
*Peoria lost to West Michigan 6-4. Following the game All-Star second baseman Eric Patterson was promoted to West Tenn AA and pitcher Matt Weber was promoted to high-A in Daytona. The Chiefs are also adding rehabbing pitcher Angel Guzman and newly acquired pitcher Justin Berg to their roster.
*2B Eric Patterson went 0-for-2 with an RBI, run scored and a stolen base.
*3B Luis Rivera had a pair of singles in the game, going 2-for-3 on the night

A - Boise Hawks (28-37)
*Boise was edged by Tri-City 4-3.
*CF Davy Gregg picked up a stolen base and a pair of runs scored.
*Catcher Mark Reed had a stolen base and the other Boise RBI.

Thanks for all the blog suggestions, plugs, and posts to Len's story yesterday. Hope it's a pleasant diversion from the high frustration level of the past few weeks. We've got five weeks of baseball left and are all committed to still have an entertaining and informative telecast every time out. Hopefully Greg Maddux can keep the Fish off-stride today.

I took solace in only one thing from yesterday's games - hope everyone saw the Cardinals' Jeff Suppan and Albert Pujols watch a squibber roll foul, fail to touch it, then stand open-mouthed as it went fair again for a hit. Nice to see it happen to someone else for a change. Hey, you have to get your jollies where you can these days!

Don't forget we'll be on the air on WGN-TV at 12:30p tomorrow with the retirement of Ryne Sandberg's #23.

bob v

Hey Everyone, I thought today with all the frustration right now that I'd simply take the opportunity to say thanks to everyone for making us feel right at home this year. I'm thinking about how lucky I am to be able to sit in that amazing booth and call Cubs games with Bob. We have a wonderful crew, great fans and a terrific organization to work with. On a personal note, I can't tell you how wonderful everyone within the Cubs organizaton has been to my family and me. I know some of this won't matter to anyone out there, but with all the frustration with how the Cubs have played lately, I thought I would take the opportunity to tell you how fortunate I feel to be here.

A quick story for you...I've done a bunch of interviews with various outlets this year - the radio stations and newspapers, including the Heckler. I've also done some Q&As on some of the independent
Cubs-related blogs. And of course, I post here on our WGN baseball blog quite often. So, Thursday, I decided to post a thank you similar to the first paragraph above on the Cubs.com message board and just kind of say hello and if anyone had any questions or comments, I'd be happy to address them.

So, I posted as lenkaspercubstv, thinking that would make it obvious that it was me. Well, many were suspicious and asked a few questions to try to "verify" that it was really was me. I think I actually convinced most everyone blogging at the time when all the sudden the moderator killed the discussion. My guess is they thought I was an imposter. One of the rules on that site is that it's strictly prohibited to impersonate a Cubs player or offiicial. So, in essence, I was caught for impersonating myself.

Oh well, kinda sums up how things have gone lately, huh! Anyway, I got a chuckle out of it.

Hang in there and keep blogging!

Len (or is it really someone else?)

* These two teams have been all-offense in their six games this season with the Cubs sweeping the Marlins in Florida the last time they met.

Florida vs. Chicago – Last 6 Games

Marlins Cubs
Wins 2 4
Runs/Game 5.7 (34/6) 7.7 (46/6)
Team ERA 7.64 (45/53.0) 5.67 (34/54.0)
Team BA .273 (56/205) .336 (74/220)
Home Runs 9 9

* Glendon Rusch has lost his last two starts since returning to the rotation. Despite his recent struggles, he has pitched his best as a starter this season.

Glendon Rusch, As Starter vs. As Reliever, 2005

Starter Reliever
Record 3-5 2-1
ERA 3.75 (30/72.0) 5.14 (20/35.0)
Opponent BA .285 (79/277) .320 (47/147)

* Jason Vargas threw a 1-run complete game in his last start as the Marlins beat the Dodgers 7-1 last Sunday.

Fewest Starts Before First CG w/Marlins, All-Time

Alex Fernandez 1 04/10/1997
Jason Vargas 4 08/21/2005
Mark Redman 4 04/24/2003
Brian Meadows 4 04/24/1998
Kevin Brown 5 04/26/1996

* Both teams have fared well against lefthanded pitching this year.

NL Teams, Highest Batting Average vs. LHP, 2005

San Francisco Giants .287
Florida Marlins .286 (273/954)
Chicago Cubs .281 (326/1160)
Atlanta Braves .279
Philadelphia Phillies .273

* Derrek Lee and Miguel Cabrera have been a big part of their team’s offense.

Players Responsible For Highest Pct. Of Team's Runs, 2005
(Based on runs scored plus RBI minus HR)

Derrek Lee, ChC 27.1% (153/564)
Albert Pujols, StL 26.2% (168/642)
Miguel Cabrera, Fla 26.1% (148/568)
Jason Bay, Pit 25.5% (138/541)
Jeff Kent, LAD 25.2% (138/547)

* This game also features some duos that seem to hit home runs during the same game.

Most Games In Which Both Players Homer For Their Team, 2005

Derrek Lee/Aramis Ramirez, ChC 12
Ken Griffey Jr./Adam Dunn, Cin 9
Alfonso Soriano/Mark Teixeira, Tex 9
Gary Sheffield/Alex Rodriguez, NYY 9
Mark Teixeira/Kevin Mench, Tex 9
Carlos Delgado/Miguel Cabrera, Fla 8
Shawn Green/Troy Glaus, Ari 8

* If there was any question as to how important Aramis Ramirez’ offensive output is for Chicago’s success lately, the next chart should make it clear.

Cubs, Record Since All-Star Break When Aramis Ramirez . . .

Gets a Hit 17-11 .607 (1-11 when he doesn’t)
Gets 2+ Hits 10-3 .769 (8-19 when he doesn’t)
Gets an RBI 14-7 .667 (4-15 when he doesn’t)
Scores a Run 9-6 .600 (9-16 when he doesn’t)
Hits a HR 7-4 .636 (11-18 when he doesn’t)

* Carlos Delgado is having one of the best hitting seasons ever for a Marlins first baseman.

Marlins, Highest Batting Average As First Baseman, All-Time
(Minimum 2.47 PA/Team G)

Carlos Delgado, 2005 .292 (116/397)
Greg Colbrunn, 1996 .286
Derrek Lee, 2000 .283 (132/466)
Derrek Lee, 2001 .281 (157/558)
Greg Colbrunn, 1995 .275

AAA - Iowa Cubs (61-69)
*Game #1: Iowa doubled up New Orleans in the front-end of the doubleheader 4-2.
*Rich Hill started and picked up the win. Hill allowed 2 runs in 7 innings of work.
*Outfielder Matt Murton was 2-for-3 with a homer and 2 RBI.
*Game #2: Iowa ended up with a split of the doubleheader after a 4-1 loss to New Orleans.
*Outfielder Matt Murton went 1-for-3 with a strikeout.
*Catcher Mark Johnson hit a solo homer, the lone Iowa run.
*Pacific Coast League named Iowa Cubs starter Rich Hill the pitcher of the week for striking out 21 batters in 13.1 innings of work. Hill is 5-1 with a 3.95 ERA in nine games with Iowa.
*Iowa Cubs right-hander Talley Haines has been selected to play for Team USA to compete for the IBAF World Cup in the Netherlands. In 21 games for Iowa, Haines is 2-1 with a 2.36 ERA and has struck out 29 in 26.1 innings.

AA - West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx
*West Tenn lost to Mississippi 5-4.
*RF Adam Greenberg went 2-for-4 with a double, triple and a run scored.
*1B Matt Craig was 2-for-5 with a double and a pair of RBI.
*Diamond Jaxx reliever David Aardsma surrendered one run in 0.1 innings pitched, suffering his first loss of the season.
* West Tenn first baseman Brandon Sing was named Player of the Month for July in the Southern League.

A - Daytona Cubs (28-30)
*The game between Daytona and St. Lucie was postponed due to rain.

A - Peoria Chiefs (27-31)
*Peoria edged West Michigan 7-6.
*CF Sam Fuld was perfect on the day, going 4-for-4 with a double and three runs scored.
*2B Eric Patterson went 2-for-4 with a double, triple and 2 RBI.
* Three Chiefs player have been selected for the 2005 postseason All-Star team: 2B Eric Patterson, Outfielder Ryan Harvey and right-handed pitcher Sean Gallagher.

A - Boise Hawks (27-36)
*Boise beat Spokane 2-1 in 12 innings.
*Hawks reliever Nick Thompson pitched 3.0 innings of one-hit relief, picking up his first win of the season.
*SS Kyle Reynolds was 2-for-5 with a triple and 2 RBI, including the game-winner in the top of the twelfth inning.

Mark Prior goes into today's start vs. Atlanta having won his last 2
outings. Watch for the pitch count today as it's been a bit of a
concern for him and the Cubs. Here's why--he's gone just 6 inning the last 2 times out with pitch counts of 123 and 118. Mark says he'd like to be able to go deeper into games and hopefully he can do that today. If you're going to throw 120 pitches, you'd really like to be able to get into at least the 8th.

The great performance by Jerome Williams last night was made even more special by the fact that his father and brother were here to see it. Jerome's dad, Glenn, had undergone kidney AND liver transplants in the spring and it was the first time since then he's been able to see his son pitch in person. It was Williams' best outing as a Cub and he had his first career 2-hit game to boot, starting a 4-run rally in the 3rd inning with a leadoff double and then singling to start the 4th.

Dusty says he's going to keep the starters in their normal spots, so
Glendon Rusch will go Friday vs. the Marlins (LH Jason Vargas starts
for Florida) after the off day Thursday. Greg Maddux pitches Saturday against Dontrelle Willis and then how about Sunday's matchup--Josh Beckett vs. Carlos Zambrano! We'll have games 1 and 3 right here on WGN, including our special on Ryno's jersey retirement ceremony Sunday, which begins at 12:30.

So, today the Cubs go for the series win over the NL East-leading
Braves. Seven to go on the homestand, including today. How about 6 or 7 wins?

Len

That was some performance by Jerome Williams last night, especially with his father and brother looking on from the stands. It was such a big outing for the Cubs and Jerome personally. Sometimes, personal matters are more important than what takes place on the field - he had missed time in April and March to be with his father after transplant surgery. The fact that he had his family here to enjoy his success on the mound AND at the bat was special.

You don't always know what to expect when players return to their home town or have family in attendance. Many times, they tend to put too much pressure on themselves and don't perform very well. Not so with Jerome. He really had it last night when both he and the Cubs needed it most.

Bob

* Despite yesterday’s drubbing by the Cubs, the Braves have dominated this series this season. Prior to yesterday’s 10 runs the Cubs had only managed seven runs in the first five games.

Braves vs. Cubs, 2005

Braves Cubs
Wins 5 1
Runs/Game 4.8 (29/6) 2.8 (17/6)
ERA 2.89 (17/53.0) 5.22 (29/50.0)
Batting Avg .267 (50/187) .233 (45/193)
BA RISP .326 (14/43) .206 (7/34)
Home Runs 9 4

* The Braves Andruw Jones (.272 BA) is having a career season. If Jones continues to lead the Braves and wins the MVP, he could be just the seventh non-pitcher in major league history to win the award while batting less than .275.

Non-Pitcher MVPs with less than a .275 BA, All-Time
(sorted by year descending)

1972 Johnny Bench, Cin .270
1965 Zoilo Versalles, Min .273
1961 Roger Maris, NYY .269
1955 Yogi Berra, NYY .272
1952 Hank Sauer, ChC .270
1944 Marty Marion, StL .267

* Jeromy Burnitz had a great day on Tuesday with five RBI including a grand slam, but he will be hard pressed to have back to back great days.

Jeromy Burnitz, Lowest BA vs. Pitcher, Career
(min 25 PA)

Kent Mercker .043 (1/23)
Kerry Wood .100 (3/30)
Mike Hampton .138 (4/29)
Kevin Tapani .160 (4/25)
Woody Williams .172 (5/29)

-- This was Burnitz’ eighth grand slam of his career, three of which have been hit against the Braves. This was his first grand slam since 5/23/2003. Also hit against the Braves (Russ Ortiz).
* Burnitz may be catching a break however, as Hampton has not been himself since his forearm and back injuries.

Mike Hampton, First 9 Starts vs. Last 3 Starts, 2005

First 9 Starts Last 3 Starts
W-L 4-1 1-2
ERA 1.83 13.06
Opp BA .225 .500
GDP* 11 0

* Ground Ball Double Plays Induced

* Chipper Jones, on the other hand, has come back strong after his rotator cuff strain cost him a little more than a week.

Chipper Jones, Since 8/11/2005 (MLB Ranks)

BA .425 (3rd)
OBP .540 (1st)
Slug% .850 (1st)
HR 4 (T-5th)
RBI 13 (T-3rd)

* The Braves have had great pitching for more than a decade, and this year despite having a less than sparkling Team ERA of 3.95 they still dominate games like few others.

Most Games Allowing 2 or Fewer Runs, 2005

Houston Astros 52
Atlanta Braves 50
Los Angeles Angels 46
St. Louis Cardinals 46
Oakland Athletics 44
Florida Marlins 44

* On May 27th Chicago’s Mark Prior was hit on his pitching arm by a line drive. As you would expect the pitching suffered in Prior’s absence.

Chicago Cubs, Team ERA Before, During, After Prior’s Injury
(MLB Ranks)

4/4 – 5/27 5/28 – 6/26 6/27 – 8/23
ERA 3.99 (12th) 5.13 (22nd) 4.28 (16th)

AAA - Iowa Cubs (59-68)
*Iowa lost to Memphis 7-3.
*Bobby Brownlie started and took the loss. He gave up 9 hits and 5 runs in 5 innings of work.
*Both Ronny Cedeno and Matt Murton were 1-4 (singles).
*2B Richard Lewis was 2-4 with a double and run scored.

AA - West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx (31-26)
*RF Adam Greenberg went 0-2 with a walk and pair of strikeouts.
*Closer Andy Shipman gave up 2 unearned runs in the 9th to take the loss.

A - Daytona Cubs (28-29)
*Three Daytona pitchers combined to shut out Palm Beach 9-0.
*Randy Wells started, giving up only 2 hits in 7 innings to get the win.
*3B Scott Moore went 3/4 with a pair of doubles, 2 RBI, and a stolen base.
*SS Carlos Rojas went 4/5 with a pair of runs scored.

A - Peoria Chiefs (25-31)
*Peoria resumes play today against the Swing of Quad Cities.

A - Boise Hawks (26-35)
*Boise beat Vancouver 4-2.
*SS Jon Mota went 2/4 with a pair of singles.
*Catcher Mark Reed went 1/4 with an RBI and run scored.

If it's Tuesday, 99% of Cub fandom is ticked and rightly so. I figured I'd put a quick note on here so you have a simple place to write the Dusty/Hendry/Corey/Kerry/Andy/Holly/Neifi/Larry/Len/Bob/Ronnie Woo-Woo/Keith the usher must go notes of the day.

Kidding - we all need a place to vent, especially with these last three games.

First, several program notes. Thanks for continuing to watch!

*WGN-TV has the following games in the next week:
Wed - LA 1p
Fri - Fla 1p
Sun - Fla 1p
Tue - LA 7p
Wed - LA 1p

*Sunday afternoon, watch on WGN as Ryne Sandberg's #23 is retired at Wrigley Field. "Retiring Ryno" airs at 12:30p, followed by the Cubs and Marlins.

*"This Old Cub" does not air on WGN this week.

bob v

AAA - Iowa Cubs (59-67)
*Iowa edged Memphis 3-2.
*RHP Jon Leicester started and picked up the win. He went 7 innings, giving up 6 hits and 2 runs.
*SS Ronny Cedeno went 2-for-3 with a double and the game-winning RBI in the seventh inning.
*RF Matt Murton was 0-for-3 with an RBI.
*Cub closer Jermaine Van Buren picked up his 24th save of the year, pitching a scoreless ninth.
* The Pacific Coast League named Iowa Cubs starter Rich Hill the pitcher of the week for striking out 21 batters in 13.1 innings of work. Hill is 5-1 with a 3.95 ERA in nine games with Iowa.

AA - West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx (31-25)
*West Tenn was shut out by Mississippi 6-0.
*RF Adam Greenberg came into the game as a pinch-hitter, going 0–for-1 on the night.
* West Tenn first baseman Brandon Sing was named Player of the Month for July in the Southern League.

A - Daytona Cubs (27-29)
*Daytona was routed by Palm Beach, 11-2.
*DH Enrique Cruz went 1-for-2 with a double and an RBI.
*Outfielder Jeff Culpepper had the other Daytona RBI, a solo homer.

A - Peoria Chiefs (25-31)
*Peoria resumes play tomorrow against the Swing of the Quad Cities.

A - Boise Hawks (25-35)
*Boise lost to Vancouver 5-2.
*CF Davy Gregg went 2-for-5 with an RBI.
*LF Jesus Valdez had a double on the night, going 1-for-3.

* The Braves used a 5-run 8th inning last night en route to a 6-2 win to avoid getting swept at home by the Padres. Atlanta has won six of the last seven meetings with the Cubs, including four straight earlier this season.
* The Cubs are coming off a series loss to the Rockies and are now 6-12 in their last 18 games (since 8/3).
* Tim Hudson is 3-2 with a 2.85 ERA since the All-Star break. This will be his first career appearance vs. the Cubs.
* Carlos Zambrano is 6-1 with a 1.51 ERA in his last 10 starts. He is 0-1 with a 6.62 ERA in his last three starts vs. Atlanta.
* Derrek Lee got his 36th home run of the season in yesterday’s Cub loss---his first in nine games. Chicago is now 19-10 this season in games that Lee has gone deep.
* Atlanta will activate catcher Johnny Estrada from the 15-day disabled list today. Estrada was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a lumbar and cervical strain as he continues to suffer from the effects of a June 6 home-plate collision with the Angels' Darin Erstad.
* Jeff Francoeur was walked intentionally yesterday for his first free-pass since joining the Braves on July 7th (33 games without a walk).
* Chipper Jones has raised his season batting average 40 points since July 29th (from .269 to .309). Jones is hitting .460 (23-for-50) since that date.

AAA - Iowa Cubs (58-67)
*Iowa lost to Memphis 6-3.
*Sergio Mitre started and took the loss, giving up 6 runs in 1.2 innings.
*SS Ronny Cedeno went 2-for-4 with a run scored.
*RF Matt Murton was 1-for-3 on the night with a run scored.
*LF Ben Grieve had all three of Iowa’s RBI on two hits, including a triple.

AA - West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx (31-24)
*West Tenn resumes play today against Mississippi.

A - Daytona Cubs (27-28)
*Daytona routed St. Lucie 13-0 as the club set a new single-season attendance record.
*RF J.J. Johnson was 4-for-5 with three HRs and 8 RBI.
*DH Paul O’Toole also had four hits on the night, including a home run, three RBI and five runs scored.

A - Peoria Chiefs (26-31)
*Game #1: Peoria doubled up Quad Cities 14-7 in the front-end of the doubleheader
*Reliever Alfredo Francisco picked up his first win of the season in 2.1 innings of relief.
*CF Sam Fuld and 2B Eric Patterson each had three runs scored on four hits. Fuld also added three RBI.
*1B Anthony Granato went 3-for-4 with a pair of runs scored and 3 RBI.

Game #2: Peoria wound up splitting the doubleheader after a 4-2 loss to Quad Cities.
*3B Aaron Smith had a triple and a run scored, going 1-for-2 on the night.
*2B Eric Patterson had a pair of stolen bases, increasing his season total to 38.

A - Boise Hawks
*Boise beat Vancouver 3-1.
*RHP Mitch Atkins started and picked up the win with 7 innings of 6-hit, 1-run ball.
*2B Jose Rios had a double, run scored and an RBI.

Something to watch and we saw it again last night - between Matt Lawton, Corey Patterson, and Jeromy Burnitz, the Cubs really need one, two, or three of their left-handed hitters to get something going. It's obvious that Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez have carried the Cubs offense all year. As you get down to crunch time in September (and hopefully October), teams are going to save their right-handed relievers to combat Lee & Ramirez.

Jeromy Burnitz has been swinging bat better lately - one reason for encouragement is that his best career numbers for homers and RBIs have been in September.

Hopefully, some of those three left-handed bats can get something going offensively to plant a seed of doubt in the opposing manager's mind.

Bob

AAA - Iowa Cubs (58-66)
*Iowa held on to beat Memphis 4-3.
*Rich Hill started and got the win for the Cubs, going 7.1 innings, allowing 2 runs, 1 earned.
*LF Ben Grieve doubled twice and drove in two runs, going 2-for-4 on the day.
*RHP Jermaine Van Buren allowed a run in the ninth inning but still nothced his 23rd save, a franchise single season record.

AA - West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx (31-24)
*Game #1: West Tenn shut out Montgomery 3-0.
*Starter Jae-Kuk Ryu went the distance in game 1, recording his first complete game of the year.
*3B Casey McGehee homered for the second straight day going 1-for-2.
*2B Aaron Sisk followd McGehee’s third inning two-run shot with a solo home run of his own. Sisk was 1-for-2.

*Game #2: West Tenn scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh to win 6-5 and sweep the doubleheader.
*RHP Thomas Atlee allowed three runs over 2.0 innings of relief, but still picked up his second win of the season.
*2B Aaron Sisk was 2-for-4 in game 2 with a double a triple and three RBI. Sisk was 3-for-6 with three extra base hits and four RBI on the day.

A - Daytona Cubs (26-28)
*Daytona was routed by St. Lucie 11-3.
*LHP Paul Schappert threw 3.0 innings pf scoreless relief to record his first save of the year.
*SS Carlos Rojas was 2-for-4 with an RBI double.

Peoria allowed two runs in the bottom of the ninth to lose to the Quad Cities 5-4. Peoria’s losing streak has reached six games.STARTING PITCHER IP H R ER BB SO W-L ERARHP Jesse Estrada (ND) 7.0 5 3 3 2 0 6-10 5.18HOMERS– None¨ RHP Adalberto Mendez allowed two runs in the ninth inning without recording an out taking his first loss of the year.¨ CF Sam Fuld and RF Jesse Schmidt each doubled and scored a run going 2-for-5.

Boise was trounced by Vancouver 12-1.STARTING PITCHER IP H R ER BB SO W-L ERALHP Darin Downs (L) 4.0 8 7 6 3 2 4-4 3.73HOMERS– None¨ 3B Brandon Taylor was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.¨ SS Kyle Reynolds scored Boise’s only run and was 1-for-4 on the day.

Hey Everybody, big start for Glendon Rusch tonight @ Colorado. This
spot in the rotation has struggled lately (Rich Hill/Rusch), but
hopefully Glendon will keep the streak of excellent outings from the
starters going. Mark Prior continued his domination here @ Coors
Friday with his 4th career win in Denver.

One of the fun things to do as we scoreboard watch is to figure out who everybody thinks will be THE team to beat in September in the wildcard race. Here's the question--which team above the Cubs in the race do you worry about the most? I'd love to get your thoughts on it. Is it Houston? Florida? Maybe the Phillies or Mets? Washington? Hey, Milwaukee is only a 1/2 game back of the Cubs. Post your thoughts on your #1 contender for the wildcard (and why of course) and we'll try to read some on the air.

Len

* Over the last two seasons, only one NL team (Houston 10-2) has a better record against the Rockies than the Cubs (9-2).

Cubs vs. Rockies, 2004-05

Cubs Rockies
Wins 9 2
Runs/Game 6.6 (73/11) 3.5 (38/11) Starters ERA 3.44 (27/70.2) 6.34 (42/59.2)
Relief ERA 2.78 (10/32.1) 5.77 (25/39.0)
Batting Avg .293 (115/393) .231 (87/376)
BA, RISP .252 (27/107) .203 (16/79)
Slugging Pct .519 (204/393) .388 (146/376)
Home Runs 22 13
Runs, Inning 7+ 20 11

* Going into this season, the Cubs knew they would have one of the strongest corner infield tandems in the majors. Those expectations have been exceeded.

Cubs, Production from Corner Infielders, 2005
(with MLB ranks)

BA .323 (1st) (306/947)
RBI 182 (1st)
XBH 139 (1st)
Slug % .609 (1st)
Runs 170 (1st)
HR 65 (2nd) (NYY 67)
SB 14 (3rd) (all by Derrek Lee)

* Since the beginning of the 2002 season, only three bases have been stolen with Glendon Rusch on the mound. So far this season, no base runner has stolen a base against Rusch.

Most Innings Pitched, 0 SB Against, 2005

Jarrod Washburn, LAA 144.0
Glendon Rusch, ChC 101.0
Kyle Davies, Atl 73.0
Ricardo Rodriguez, Tex 57.0
Derrick Turnbow, Mil 52.1

* The Rockies have a ton of players who love to get the first steal against Rusch this season.

Most Players With 1+ SB, 2005

Colorado Rockies 18
San Diego Padres 17
Kansas City Royals 14
Houston Astros 14
Washington Nationals 14

* Glendon Rusch’s counterpart tonight, has not allowed a single home run this season, even though his home park is Coors Field.

Most Innings Pitched, 0 HR Allowed, 2005

Mike Gonzalez, Pit 29.0
Jason Vargas, Fla 28.0
Aaron Cook, Col 22.2
Joey Eischen, Was 22.1
Felix Hernandez, Sea 21.0

* One player who has enjoyed the home cooking of Coors has been Garrett Atkins.

Garrett Atkins, Home/Road, 2005 Season
(min 3.1 PA/Game for ratio ranks)

Home Road Diff
BA .332 .207 .125 (largest in MLB)
OBP .401 .286 .115 (2nd largest in MLB)
RBI 39 17 22 (5th largest in NL)

* Most players would consider a .284 average to be pretty solid. However, for Todd Helton, it represents his lowest batting average against any National League opponent.

Todd Helton, Lowest Career Batting Average by NL Opponent

Vs. Chicago Cubs .284 (61/215)
Los Angeles Dodgers .310
Milwaukee Brewers .312
Atlanta Braves .317
St. Louis Cardinals .323

* Brian Fuentes is one of just five closers perfect in save opportunities at home this season.

Closers Without a Blown Save at Home, 2005
(min 10 save opps)
Saves/Opps
Billy Wagner, Phi 16/16
Joe Nathan, Min 14/14
Brian Fuentes, Col 12/12
Mike MacDougal, KC 11/11
Yhency Brazoban, LAD 10/10

August 22nd - Tim Stoddard
August 23rd - Tom Dreesen
August 24th - Tom Skilling
August 26th - Lee Smith
August 27th - Comcast
August 28th - Ryne Sandberg
August 29th - Tommy Lasorda
August 30th - Ron Cey
August 31st - Charley Steiner

Well, the Cubs just keeping hanging in there, having won 5 of 7 vs. the top 2 teams in the NL Central and after having all kinds of success vs. the 2 best pitching staffs in the league, they take on the Rockies and their 5.39 ERA. Forget for a second how many teams are ahead of the Cubs - the first goal is to get back to .500. Once that happens, as Dusty Baker might say, then we'll take a look at where things stand. I sound like a broken record with all this "these next few games are huge" talk, so just assume from now on that it's understood that the Cubs can't afford anymore missteps.

It seems like these games at Coors end up being battles of attrition at times. You're never out of it if you're behind and you can never relax if you have a big lead. The Cubs being a home run team should help them this weekend, assuming they continue to swing the bats as well as they have over the last week-plus. The Cubs have homered in their last 9 consecutive games. The Rockies, meanwhile, are not the home run-hitting team they once were and haven't been scoring runs at home. They've been shut out twice in their last 5 games and have scored 4 runs or fewer in 8 of their 1st 11 games on their current homestand.

I went out on a limb and said Tuesday and Wednesday were as close to
must wins as it gets and fortunately the Cubs came through. I won't
make any predictions for the weekend, but I think everyone reading this understands how important it is to at the very least win this series.

Should be wild in the Mile High City. We'll see you Saturday night on WGN.

Len

* The Cubs took three of four from the Rockies back in May, giving them eight wins in their last 10 games with Colorado.
* The Cubs have followed their eight-game losing streak by winning five of their last seven against the two top teams in their division -- St. Louis and Houston.
* In five career starts against the Rockies, Mark Prior has a 4-0 record with a 1.44 ERA and is averaging 11.2 strikeouts per nine innings. Three of the four wins have come at Coors Field, where his ERA is 1.42.
* Nomar Garciaparra is hitting .350 (14/40) with two homers in 12 games since returning from the DL with a left groin tear. Garciaparra, however, left Wednesday’s game early with a stiff lower back and is considered day-to-day.
* Since 2003, Derrek Lee is hitting .404 (23/57) with six home runs and 17 runs scored in 16 games against the Rockies.
* Colorado has dropped six of its last seven and is 4-7 on its current 14-game homestand.
* Todd Helton has posted a .438 (14/32) batting average in eight games since returning from the DL.
* Aaron Cook has posted a 2.95 ERA in his last three starts after allowing seven earned runs in 4.1 innings of work in his first start this season.

I'll be the first to acknowledge I've rolled my eyes several thousand times this year while posting blog comments that said "we need Kerry Wood as our closer". Given his arm troubles, control issues, and all-too-often first inning nightmares, it seemed a bit far-fetched.

Sunday and last night, Kerry got the chance to show his stuff in a real situation with the game in the balance, and it was simply "wow". Len made a great point about the sheer velocity difference between Maddux and Wood puts hitters off-balance from the get-go in the 8th inning last night.

So after the last week and especially last night, is Kerry Wood the Cubs $11 million closer next year? Remember, you also have to sign Ryan Dempster, who has done everything the Cubs could have asked for since taking over the closer role (the last time I checked, there are no style points). Given the fact that the Cubs have over $10 million in lost bullpen money on this year's team (LaTroy, Borowski, and Remlinger), it sure seems you can never have enough.

What about replacing the spot in the starting rotation? It's not easy to just run out and find a starting pitcher on the free agent market - ask the Yankees. (Here come the "why didn't we keep Clement jeers, conveniently forgetting that he was not even in the rotation at the end of last year.)

As the Cubs hang on by their fingernails, it will be an interesting sideshow regardless. We can't wait for all of you to weigh in.

Plus, if the Cubs really want some revenge on Roy Oswalt from last year, tonight is the chance to hang a loss on him.

bob v

The Cubs go into tonight's game @ Houston 7.5 out in the wildcard race after losing 12-4 last night. Great pitching matchup tonight -Greg Maddux vs. Andy Pettitte. It will be interesting to see how Maddux responds 5 days after his 1st complete game of the season. The Cubs certainly need some innings out of the future Hall of Famer tonight after Glendon Rusch got knocked out early last night. That's
unfortunately been a familiar refrain lately and it's frequently taxed the bullpen.

One bright spot from last night was Matt Murton's 1st career HR. The
one question about Murton, a corner OF, is this--can he hit for enough power to be an everyday guy in LF? Sometimes, power is the last thing that comes and Murton has those other things you look for--patience at the plate and the ability to hit the ball the other way. If he could be a 15-20-HR guy, with his ability to walk, he has a chance to be a very solid everyday LF at some point.

It goes without saying that the Cubs have to win the next 2 games to
stay in this thing. Which means they have to really step up against 2 of the best starters in the NL--Andy Pettitte and Roy Oswalt.

Len

* Since the opening of Minute Maid Park in 2000, the Cubs and Astros have played this series very even. In fact, the Cubs have taken more advantage of the small contours and the Astros have seemed more unsure of the playing surface committing over twice as many errors.

Cubs Vs Astros in Houston, Since 2000

Cubs Astros
Wins 24 23
Runs/Game 5.4 (255/47) 5.1 (242/47)
ERA 5.10 (228/402.1) 4.98 (235/425.0)
Batting Avg .285 (475/1669) .272 (425/1560)
BA RISP .263 (121/460) .297 (124/418)
Home Runs 72 53
Errors 18 42

* Houston’s opponent batting average since the All-Star break this season is only bested in the National League by the ’86 Astros featuring Mike Scott, Nolan Ryan, Bob Knepper, and Jim Deshaies over the last twenty years.

Lowest Opponent BA After All-Star Break, NL Since 1986

Astros, 1986 .218
Astros, 2005 .226 (232/1026)
Braves, 1991 .229
Reds, 1988 .230
Mets, 1989 .231
Dodgers, 1988 .231

* Andy Pettite is a major reason for this stingy opponent batting average. Pettite is 4-1 since the All-Star break and he has been dominant in the second half for his entire career. His mound opponent, Greg Maddux has not been too shabby himself.

Most Wins After All-Star Break, Since 1995 - MLB

Andy Pettite 83
Greg Maddux 83
Roger Clemens 81
Randy Johnson 77
Pedro Martinez 72

* Pettite will need to be wary of Derrek Lee and his career numbers he is putting up, but the Astros have handled him very well this season.

Derrek Lee vs Astros/All Others, 2005

Vs Astros All Others
BA .263 (5/19) .352 (148/421)
AB/HR 19.0 (19/1) 12.4 (421/34)

Lee is batting .225 (9-for-40) in his last 12 road games.

* The Cubs as a team have beat up on lefthanded pitching all season.

Highest Slugging Pct. off Lefthanded Pitching, 2005 MLB

Chicago Cubs .482
Detroit Tigers .479
Florida Marlins .460
Chicago White Sox .459
Atlanta Braves .456

* Morgan Ensberg’s home run yesterday and his power surge over the last couple months shouldn’t surprise anyone who has been following his career. Over the last three seasons, only two third-basemen have a lower at-bat per home run ratio than Ensberg.

Fewest AB per HR as Third Baseman – Since 2003
(Min 1000 PA as 3B)

Alex Rodriguez 14.43
Aramis Ramirez 17.17
Morgan Ensberg 17.79 (1174/66)
Adrian Beltre 18.43
Scott Rolen 18.70

* Willy Taveras is one of only two MLB players hitting 100 points higher at home than on the road.

Largest Increase In BA, Home/Road – 2005 MLB
(Min 3.1 PA per team game)

Home Road Diff
Garrett Atkins, Col .343 (62/181) .207 (34/164) 0.136
Willy Taveras, Hou .363 (82/226) .239 (53/222) 0.124
Jack Wilson, Pit .289 (59/204) .192 (42/219) 0.097
Alex Rodriguez, NYY .366 (83/227) .272 (58/213) 0.094
Mike Piazza, NYM .308 (52/169) .217 (39/180) 0.091

There's a line from "Sex and the City" (did you know it's coming to WGN? - kidding, just kidding) talking about the pros and cons of hope. Is hope something that keeps us going or is it a dangerous drug to which we're addicted? Cub fans are probably the world's foremost experts on hope, especially the eternal variety.

After the Cubs took 3 of 4 from the Cardinals this weekend, Hope with a capital H now is front and center again with the Cubs. I know some of you may feel this is Lucy grabbing the football and asking Charlie Brown to come out and play, but the reality is even after digging themselves a deep hole, the Cubs have the chance to keep their postseason hopes alive.

I know all of on the broadcast team will always take the Hope and since we miss Roger Clemens in this series, maybe the luck truly is beginning to change. Tonight's game is a hard-to-handicap pitching matchup between lefthanders Glendon Rusch and Wandy Rodriguez. WGN has tomorrow night's game with Maddux and Pettite.

It sure be a fun series down in Houston. I Hope.

bob v

* The teams have split the first six meetings this season.
* Chicago’s Aramis Ramirez has nine home runs and 28 RBIs in his last 25 road games.
* Cubs’ The Cubs have lost five straight road games, tying a season-high. They have not homered in four of those five contests.
* pitcher Glendon Rusch makes his first start since June 23. Rusch is 3-3 with a 3.32 ERA in 10 starts this season.
* Houston has walked just twice in the last three contests with the Cubs.
* Houston’s Morgan Ensberg has 12 home runs and 29 RBIs in his last 31 home games.
* Astros’ rookie pitcher Wandy Rodriguez made his major league debut against the Cubs on May 23, recording the loss. Rodriguez has won his last two home starts.

Well, THAT'S how to snap a losing streak. Greg Maddux with his 1st complete game in over a year, Derrek Lee finding Waveland twice and the Cubs pounding the best team in the league. Now, of course, the idea is to get on a roll, get back to .500 and then figure out where you stand in the wildcard race. Look, I'm not going to make any bold predictions here. The 8-game skid has put the Cubs on the brink of being out of the race in mid-August, BUT stranger things have happened (just ask last year's Astros). It will take an incredible run for the Cubs to jump over all those teams ahead of them, but again, the idea right now is to string something positive together and not worry about the playoff picture. I know there's a lot of frustration out there with how this team has played lately. We've seen some very ugly games along the way. But, as we look ahead now, let's see if they can at least get back to .500 relatively soon and then we'll see where things stand. In the meantime, taking at least 2 more from the Cardinals this weekend would feel good, wouldn't it?

Len

* While the Cardinals have dominated the rest of their division opponents over the last two seasons, the Cubs have given them trouble. The two clubs have just about split their last 30 contests, with 12 of them decided by a single run.

Cardinals Vs. Cubs, Head-to-Head – Last 30 Games

StL ChC
Wins 14 16
1-Run Wins 7 5
Runs PG 4.3 (129/30) 5.0 (149/30)
BA .237 (239/1007) .291 (311/1068)
SLG .423 (426/1007) .476 (508/1068)
ERA 4.68 (141/271.1) 3.92 (119/273.1)

* The Cards come out of the gate with purpose, outscoring their opponents by almost 70 runs in the first three innings of their games.

Biggest Run Differential in 1st Three Innings, MLB -- 2005

Own Opp Diff
St. Louis Cardinals 239 171 68
Chicago White Sox 190 138 52
Milwaukee Brewers 197 148 49
Atlanta Braves 174 129 45
Arizona Diamondbacks 180 145 35

When the Redbirds score first, they are 51-16 (.761) this season, which is the 2nd best mark in baseball to Toronto’s 39-12 (.765).

* Abraham Nunez has made third base his own while Scott Rolen is out. Derrek Lee is the only big leaguer who is making a bigger improvement over his career average than is Nunez this season.

Biggest Improvement in BA - 2005 Vs. Career Through 2004

Career 2005 Diff
Derrek Lee, ChC .266 .349 .083
Abraham Nunez, StL .238 .315 .077
Tony Clark, Ari .264 .321 .057
Brian Roberts, Bal .264 .320 .056
Nick Johnson, Was .255 .310 .055

* Lee has a good shot at increasing his average today, as he has manhandled Jason Marquis over the course of his career.

Highest Career BA Vs. Marquis – Active Players
(minimum 20 PA)

Derrek Lee .462 (12/26)
Rob Mackowiak .421
Orlando Cabrera .400
Mike Lieberthal .375
Mike Lowell .375

On the other side, Albert Pujols has a lifetime mark of just .185 (5/27) against Carlos Zambrano.

* Of course, Marquis can hit a little bit as well. Not only does he lead all pitchers with nine RBI this season, but only two pitchers have posted a higher batting average in any season in the expansion era (since 1961).

Highest BA by a Pitcher in a Season – Since 1961
(minimum 50 AB; all AB included)

Orel Hershiser, 1993 Dodgers .356
Catfish Hunter, 1971 A’s .350
Jason Marquis, 2005 Cardinals .344 (21/61)
Mike Hampton, 2002 Rockies .344
Rick Rhoden, 1984 Pirates .333
Don Robinson, 1980 Pirates .333

* Marquis got off to a strong start this season, but he has won just once in his last ten starts.

Marquis, 1st 13 Vs. Last 10 Starts (Since June 15th)

1st 13 Last 10
W-L 8-3 1-7
ERA 3.27 5.58 (37/59.2)
BA Allowed .242 .279 (65/233)
K/W Ratio 1.4 1.0 (23/23)
HR Allowed 9 10

AAA - Iowa Cubs (55-60)
*The game between Iowa and Las Vegas was postponed due to rain. The game will not be rescheduled.

AA - West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx (26-20)
*West Tenn lost to Jacksonville 5-2.
*Diamond Jaxx right-hander Federico Baez surrendered two runs in 0.1 innings pitched, suffering his third loss of the season.
*LF Matt Creighton was 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored.

A - Daytona Cubs (21-25)
*Daytona shut out Vero Beach 10-0.
*Randy Wells (7-2) started and picked up the win with five innings of shutout ball.
*CF Chris Walker went 3-for-5 with a pair of triples and 4 RBI.
*SS Carlos Rojas was 3-for-5 with 2 RBI.
*Brian Dopirak hit his 14th HR of the year.

A - Peoria Chiefs (23-24)
*Peoria held off Quad Cities ninth-inning rally, edging the Swing 3-2.
*1B Drew Larsen was 2-for-3 on the night, with a homer (4) and 2 RBI.
*DH Aaron Smith went 1-for-4 with a double.

A - Boise Hawks (22-28)
*Boise edged Spokane 4-3.
*1B Elvin Puello went 3-for-4 with a double and a pair of runs scored.
*3B Brandon Taylor was 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI.

Rookie - Mesa Cubs (3-8)
*The Cubs routed the Padres 15-4.
*Angel Guzman started and pitched 2 innings.
*Cub right-hander Brett Jackson picked up his first win of the season in 4.0 innings of relief.
*LF Deryck Lewis went 4-for-5 with 2 RBI and three runs scored.
*CF Randy Brown was 2-for-6 with a triple and 3 RBI.

The Cubs will retire Ryne Sandberg's #23 on Sunday, August 28. Please join us on WGN-TV at 12:30pm Central that day as we cover the ceremony live as part of our special "Retiring Ryno". It promises to be a great day at Wrigley.

Well, the Cardinals are finally here and it's a huge disappointment to all of us that these games are worth little more than some very pale bragging rights.

Judging by the posts of the last few days, there is definitely the need to vent a bit, so feel free to send us your thoughts on today's events. I hope we've proven to the conspiracy theorists out there that no views are "silenced" - there's definitely an angry tone coming from the bloggers during this eight-game slide. No one can blame you - it's tough for all of us to watch the Cubs struggle with every facet of the game at once.

Have a great Thursday and don't forget that we'll have the Cubs and Cards on WGN tomorrow at 1p. Fox has the game on Saturday and ESPN covers things on Sunday night.

bob v

We can laugh a little or cry a lot - let's laugh a little.

A Chicagoan dies and is sent to the great below. He had been a horrible man throughout life and even the devil wanted to punish him, so he puts him to work breaking up rocks with a sledgehammer. To make it worse he cranks up the temperature and the humidity. "Love my kingdom!" laughs the devil.

After a couple of days the devil checks in on his victim to see if he is suffering adequately. The devil is aghast as he looks at the Chicagoan happily swinging his hammer and whistling a happy tune. The devil walks up to him and says, "I don't understand this. I've turned the heat way up, it's humid, you're crushing rocks; why are you so happy?"

The Chicagoan, smiling big, looks at the devil and replies, "This is great! It reminds me of August in Chicago. Hot, humid, a good place to work. It reminds me of home. This is fantastic!" The devil, extremely perplexed, walks away to ponder the Chicagoan's remarks.
Then he decides to drop the temperature, send down driving rain and
torrential wind. Soon, hell is a wet, muddy mess. Walking in mud up to his knees with dust blowing into his eyes, the Chicagoan is happily slogging through the mud pushing a wheelbarrow full of crushed rocks. Again, the devil asks how he can be happy in such conditions. The Chicagoan replies, "This is great! Just like April in Chicago. It reminds me of working out in the fields with spring planting!" The devil is now completely baffled.

Angry, and desperate to make things really awful, he tries one last ditch effort. He makes the temperature plummet. Suddenly the devil's lair is blanketed in snow and ice. Confident that this will surely make the Chicagoan unhappy, the devil checks in on the Chicagoan. He is aghast at what he sees. The Chicagoan is dancing, singing, and twirling his sledgehammer as he cavorts in glee. "How can you be so happy? Don't you know its 40 below zero?" screams the devil.

Jumping up and down, the Chicagoan throws a snowball at the devil and yells, "Hell's frozen over!! This means the Cubs are in the World Series!!!

We talked about the idea of what you play for on the telecast last night. There's no question the Cubs are really struggling right now. The short starting pitching, the inconsistent bullpen, the lack of timely hitting - those are all things that happen to every ballclub at some point in the season. The good teams find a way to battle through that and win ballgames regardless of those shortcomings. I think the biggest problem is what appears to be a lack of concentration and a lack of focus.

Physical errors happen on the baseball field. You are going to throw a ball away. Occasionally, a ball is going to climb up your wrist as an infielder and you're going to boot it. It appears to be a lack of focus before the play and then when a ball is put into play, guys appear to be caught by surprise. That is really a concern. You have to come out here and keep your head in the game for nine innings and two or three hours - whatever it takes to play a game. That shouldn't be too much to ask to focus for a few hours.

The funny thing about the game of baseball is that all it takes is a good game where guys start squaring the ball up, put together good at-bats, turn the double plays defensively, throw to the right base, back up bases - play the game fundamentally sound, a clean game and you can win a ballgame. Remember what it feels like to play the game the right way, do things the right way and have good results. That's all it takes sometimes to turn an entire season around.

Bob

While the action on the field was less than stellar last night, there was tons of fun in the stands as the Cubs celebrated 70s night at Wrigley Field.

AAA - Iowa Cubs (53-60)
*Corey Patterson had two homers as Iowa routed Las Vegas 9-0.
*Patterson went 3-for-3 with two homers, 4 RBI and 3 runs scored.
*3B Scott McClain was 2-for-5 with a homer (26) and a pair of runs scored.
*Sergio Mitre started for Iowa and pitched 5 shutout innings, giving up 2 hits.

AA - West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx (26-17)
*West Tenn beat Carolina 6-2 in 11 innings.
*Diamond Jaxx right-hander Jon Searles picked up his fourth win of the season in 2.0 innings of relief.
*SS Aaron Sisk was 2-for-5 with 3 RBI and a run scored.

A - Daytona Cubs (20-23)
Game #1: Daytona routed Jupiter 7-3 in the front-end of the doubleheader.
*CF Chris Walker went 2-for-4 with a triple, 2 RBI and a pair of runs scored.
*RF J.J. Johnson was 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI.

Game #2: Daytona finished the homestand 6-1 after sweeping the doubleheader from Jupiter with a 4-2 win.
*Cubs right-hander Lee Gwaltney pitched 2.0 scoreless innings, picking up his second win of the season.
*1B Brian Dopirak was 1-for-4 with a homer (13) and 3 RBI.

A - Peoria Chiefs (21-24)
*Peoria doubled up Clinton 10-5.
*RF Ryan Harvey went 2-for-4 with a homer (21), 4 RBI and a pair of runs scored.
*2B Eric Patterson was 2-for-5 with a triple, RBI and a stolen base.

A - Boise Hawks (21-26)
*Boise took over sole possession over first place with a 9-7 win over Spokane.
*DH Mark Reed went 2-for-5 with a double and a pair of runs scored.
*1B Chris Gaskin was 2-for-5 with a double and 2 RBI.
*Hawks right-hander Jeff Teasley pitched 2.1 innings of scoreless relief, picking up his first win of the season.

Rookie - Mesa Cubs (2-7)
*The Cubs routed the Angels 11-2.
*CF Randy Brown went 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles and 2 RBI.
*Cubs reliever Alfredo Francisco picked up his first win of the season in 3.0 innings of shut out relief.

Well, it was a very rough roadtrip for the Cubs, who dropped the final 5 games after winning Tuesday in Philadelphia. New York City wasn't kind to the Cubs this year as the Yankees and Mets both swept them. There's been a lot of talk about the Cubs struggling in the fundamentals, particularly defensively lately, and while that's absolutely true, another huge issue the last couple weeks that can't be dimissed has been an offense that suddenly isn't scoring runs or hitting for power. The Cubs averaged 3 runs per game on the last homestand and hit just 3 HRs in the 7 games. On this last trip, the Cubs averaged 2.5 runs per game and hit a measly 2 roundrippers, both coming in the same game (Friday at Shea). A good offense can cover up some defensive problems, but when you score 1 run in 2 games combined like the Cubs did Saturday and Sunday, there's zero margin for error. This offense is better than it's shown recently; hopefully it will get things righted here very soon.

We can sit here and talk all we want about how many games out the Cubs are in the wildcard and who's ahead of them, but right now, the focus is simply on just getting a win to stop this losing streak. Let's hope the Cubs can reverse their fortunes this week back in the Friendly Confines.

Len

One thing I think we all take for granted far too often is how lucky we are to have a great sports crew bringing us the games from Wrigley Field on WGN days. These guys are not only top-notch at what they do, but also share a passion for the Cubs that brings their work to an even higher level. Our cameramen rotate positions on a daily basis. Jim Tianis was kind enough to bring a camera along and give us an inside look at working atop with Wrigley Field scoreboard.

Working on top of the scoreboard at Wrigley is quite an experience. It is the highest vantage point in the ball park and really offers us some great angles in which to cover the game.

There are a few things that need to make the trip to the top of Wrigley Field; a handheld camera, a tripod, a connection cable, a safety harness and a backpack filled with some necessities...bottled water (for those really hot days), rain gear, sun block...basically you need to be ready for anything, because once you are up there you need to be prepared to be there for the whole game and perhaps extra innings.

Although amazing in design, the scoreboard was certainly not built to be convenient for cinematographers to haul broadcast television gear to its' rooftop. After making my way from the WGN production truck to the bleachers, I climb up the bleacher stairs to the the very top of the centerfield bleachers and there underneath the scoreboard is a ladder that leads to a trap door. After carefully carrying each piece of gear up the ladder and through the trap door one at a time, I close the trap door and continue my journey to the top.

Again, piece by piece I carry all of my gear up two more flights of stairs to what is the third level of the scoreboard. At that point only one more ladder and a trap door separate me from the top of the scoreboard. Once I make it top the top we have a few favorite spots that we like to shoot from, one is approximately just above the letter "E" in American, the other is all the way the far left edge of the scoreboard as viewed from home plate.

Both positions offer amazing views of the action inside of ball park as well as much of the Wrigleyville neighborhood. I think my favorite shot from the scoreboard would have to be following a pitched ball in to a batter and then following that batted ball (Home Run) all the way into a fans glove that happens to be waiting on Waveland or Sheffield.

People talk about how difficult it is to shoot golf, and it is, but in pro golf everyone knows when a golfer will be swinging, the basic trajectory, and in general where the ball is going. In baseball we have no idea. A batter might swing, might not swing, might hit a line drive down the right filed line, hit a towering fly ball down the left field line, or try to bunt for a hit...we have no idea what will happen, we just have know the situation, try to be ready for anything, and make sure we have the shot.

Because we are up there for hours at a time and see so much of the neighborhood as well as the ball park we really get to see some funny things as well. Once years ago on a home run that was hit onto Waveland there was a battle between some fans for the baseball, one of the fans involved was a U.S. mailman in uniform making his rounds. While carrying his mailbag he hopped a fence and fought off a few guys to get to the ball, it was such a great spontaneous shot because seconds earlier this federal employee had been hard at work delivering mail... but drop a home run ball in the street outside of Wrigley and anything can happen.

Like much of what we shoot at Wrigley, it was a cool moment that was captured only because unlike other ball parks around the country, the outside of Wrigley Field is visible to our cameras and plays a big part in our broadcasts. The late legendary WGN Cubs director Arne Harris used to say that WGN telecasts are different than others because we are the only ones that cover more than just the game. He would say that there are three stories going on at the same time! -the game itself, the drama in the dugout, and the fans in the stands and outside the ballpark. With the passion that the WGN Camera Crew has for baseball, the Cubs, and WGN, we will try to continue that same style of coverage today, tomorrow and hopefully leave a legacy for Cubs fans that will continue long after we are gone.

Jim Tianis

We're happy to say that we're not sure when Jim will be with us next. He is the proud father of a new baby boy over the weekend and we wish all the best to his family. Make sure you check out the attached photo gallery of scoreboard shots.

bob v

* In the last three seasons, meetings between the Reds and Cubs at Wrigley Field have been slugfests, especially for the hometown Cubs, who have swatted a whopping 42 home runs in 20 games.

Reds vs. Cubs at Wrigley Field, 2003 à 2005

Reds Cubs
Wins 8 12
Runs/Game 5.3 (106/20) 7.6 (151/20)
Batting Avg .250 (179/717) .322 (234/726)
Slugging Pct .421 (302/717) .577 (419/726)
Home Runs 26 42
Games w/ 10+ Runs 4 8

* After a red hot July, the Cincinnati offense displayed much less power in the first week of August.

Reds’ Offense in July and August, 2005

July August
W-L 17-11 2-4
Runs/Game 5.7 3.2 (19/6)
Batting Avg. .275 .219 (41/187)
AB/HR 20.4 62.3 (187/3)

* But if the Reds fall behind in a game, they are rarely out of it.

Highest Percent of Total Wins That Were Comebacks, 2005

Comebacks Total W Pct.
Cincinnati Reds 32 49 .653
San Francisco Giants 28 48 .583
Minnesota Twins 33 57 .579
Los Angeles Dodgers 28 50 .560
Washington Nationals 32 58 .552

* Three could be the magic number in this series. The Cubs are 40-7 (.851) when allowing three or fewer runs this season, the fifth-best record in the major leagues. Meanwhile, Cincinnati is just 4-44 (.083) when scoring three runs or less, the second-worst mark in baseball.

* Adam Dunn seems to love hitting in Wrigley Field. His career slugging percentage here is above .700.

Highest Career SLG at Wrigley Field, Active Players
(Min. 100 PA)

Bobby Abreu .759
Adam Dunn .722
Richard Hidalgo .704
Brian Giles .703
Wil Cordero .640

* Recently, Brandon Claussen has been much more effective pitching on the road.

Brandon Claussen in Last Seven Starts

Home Road
GS 4 3
W-L 1-3 1-1
ERA 9.45 2.41 (5/18.2)
Opp. BA .310 .221 (15/68)
BB/9 2.7 0.5 (1/18.2)

* Derrek Lee has seemingly torn up all comers this season, but he’s been especially good against the Reds.

Most RBI vs. Single Opponent, 2005 MLB

Player Opponent RBI
Derrek Lee, ChC Cincinnati 18
Trot Nixon, Bos NY Yankees 18
Miguel Cabrera, Fla Atlanta 17
David Ortiz, Bos NY Yankees 16
Gary Sheffield, NYY Tampa Bay 16

* Lee is a threat to become the National League’s first Triple Crown winner since Joe Medwick in 1937. But teammate Aramis Ramirez also might have been one if the season hadn’t started until May 27.

Aramis Ramirez – 2005

Thru 5/26 5/27 & Since
Games 42 65
BA .226 .359 (88/245)
OBP .301 .404
SLG .428 .682
HR 7 21
RBI 18 63
* Cubs’ starter Jerome Williams has usually been very solid in the early innings, although his effectiveness tends to wane later on.

Jerome Williams Performance by Inning, 2005

Innings 1-3 Inning 4+
ERA 3.60 (12/30.0) 5.58 (19/30.2)
Opp. BA .263 (30/114) .291 (32/110)
BB/9 2.1 (7/30.0) 4.1 (14/30.2)

AAA - Iowa Cubs (52-60)
*The Iowa Cubs beat Tucson 6-2.
*Bobby Brownlie started and went 5/1 innings allowing 2 runs on 5 hits. He is 6-4 on the season with a 4.46 ERA.
*Corey Patterson went 1/3 with a run scored and two strikeouts.
*3B Scott McClain was 2-for-4 with a homer (25) and 3 RBI.

AA - West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx (25-17)
*Three West Tenn pitchers combined for a 10-hit shutout, beating Chattanooga 3-0.
*1B Casey McGehee was 2-for-3 on the night with a double and an RBI.
*Diamond Jaxx closer Drew Shipman pitched a scoreless inning, picking up his ninth save of the season.

A - Daytona Cubs(18-23)
*Daytona resumes play today against Jupiter.

A - Peoria Chiefs (20-24)
*Peoria was shut out by Clinton, 2-0.
*LF Drew Larsen went 2-for-3 with a double.

A - Boise Hawks (20-26)
*Boise moved backed into a first place tie with a 7-3 win over Spokane.
*1B Chris Gaskin was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.
*CF Davy Gregg went 2-for-4 on the night with a pair of runs scored and a stolen base.

Rookie - Mesa Cubs (1-7)
The Cubs resume play today against the Royals.

Yesterday, I wrote about Scott Williamson coming back. Today, a quick word on Kerry Wood and Nomar Garciaparra. Kerry will go mainly with his fastball and slider as a reliever. He has the curve and change, but probably won't use those pitches. I suppose he has them if needed.

Wood's velocity was impressive in his outings in the minors and he says he feels comfortable with warming up quickly. It will be interesting to see how he's used and when he's used. The guess here is he'll be a 7th or 8th inning guy pitching in big spots. I like the idea of Greg Maddux going 6 with his 86-mph sinker and then seeing Kerry come in throwing 97.

In Nomar's case, he says he feels good and is ready to be back. Is he 100%? No, but he says he's not thinking about the groin anymore, which is a good sign and that this is the next step in the process. You
can't replicate the speed of the big leagues in a minor league rehab assignment and he's done everything you can do at that level. It's been a long 3 1/2 months since the injury and it's great to have him
back.

Len

The Mets didn't make a big deal at the deadline, but they remain a very dangerous team at this point of the season. Offensively, they can put numbers on the board in bunches. They moved Mike Piazza down to the 7-hole. Imagine, the greatest offensive catcher of all-time batting 7th in that line-up.

The big key for the Cubs against them is to see if they can exploit Mike Piazza behind the plate. It's something that teams have tried to do against the Mets whenever they get runners on base. Put runners in motion, open up some holes in the defense for your batters, and possibly steal a few bases.

Hopefully the return of Woody, Nomar, and Williamson can give the Cubs a lift.

Bob

The Mets are coming off the second-longest nine-inning game of the 2005 season.

Longest 9-Inning Games, 2005

Bal @ NYY, July 7 4:12
Mil @ NYM, Aug 4 4:09
Bal @ Bos, Apr 26 4:03
LAA @ Bos, June 4 3:51
Arz @ SF, June 20 3:49

Long days at the ballyard have been commonplace for the Mets, as their last four games (in which they’re 2-2) have been long and high-scoring.

Mets’ Numbers, Own & Opponent – Last 4 Games

NYM Opp
Runs/Gm 7.75 (31/4) 7.50 (30/4)
Hits/Gm 14.8 (59/4) 15.0 (60/4)
Average .364 (59-162) .368 (60-163)
Home Runs 8 8

The average time of game for those four contests was a staggering 3:47!

For the Cubs, the prevailing theme of late has been close games.

Cubs’ W-L – July 22  Present

Games Decided by 1 or 2 Runs: 5-5
All Other Games: 1-2

One of the games not decided by one or two runs was an extra-inning win in St. Louis.

Chicago does have one of the NL’s better records in tight games in ’05.

Best Records, Games Decided by 1 or 2 Runs, 2005

Cardinals 35-25
Diamondbacks 31-23
Nationals 35-26
Cubs 26-22
With the return of Nomar Garciaparra, the Cubs are adding a career .320 hitter to their lineup.

Highest Career Batting Average, Active Righthanded Hitter
(minimum 3000 PA)

Albert Pujols .324
Vladimir Guerrero .324
Nomar Garciaparra .320
Derek Jeter .314
Manny Ramirez .314
Mike Piazza .313

The Derrek Lee Triple Crown chase has slowed down.

D.Lee – Last 11 Games

Average .250 (10-40)
Home Runs 0
RBI 2

Overall, Lee’s current drought is 41 at-bats without a home run, his second longest this season. He went 46 straight at-bats with going deep between June 2 and June 14.

Fortunately for the Cubs, Aramis Ramirez has picked up the slack. Ramirez has been one of the NL’s most productive players over the last five weeks.

Most RBI by NL Players – July 1  Present

Adam Dunn, Cin 36
Aramis Ramirez, ChC 31
Geoff Jenkins, Mil 26
Andruw Jones, Atl 26
Morgan Ensberg, Hou 25
Chase Utley, Phi 25

The leadoff spot has been a big problem for both the Mets and Cubs in ’05.

Lowest On-Base Pct by #1 Spot in Lineup, 2005

Mets .295
Cubs .308
Rockies .313
Marlins .315
Twins .315
Mike Piazza is off to a strong start to the second half, with more than an RBI per game.

Piazza Before & After All-Star, 2005

Pre-ASG Post-ASG
Games 75 15
Average .260 .308 (16-52)
RBI 36 17
Slug Pct .429 .673

AAA - Iowa Cubs (51-58)
*Cubs outfielder Calvin Murray hit a walk-off homerun to lead off the bottom of the ninth, giving Iowa the 4-3 victory over Tucson.
*Todd Wellemeyer started for the Cubs and went 7 innings, allowing 1 run and scattering 7 hits.
*Corey Patterson went 2-for-4 with a pair of singles, an RBI and no strikeouts.
*Cubs right-hander Jermaine Van Buren picked up his second win of the season, pitching 1inning of scoreless relief.

AA - West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx (23-16)
*West Tenn was edged by Huntsville 4-3.
*Outfielder Adam Greenberg went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI.
*Catcher Jose Reyes was 1-for-4 with a homer and 2 RBI.

A - Daytona Cubs (17-22)
*Daytona extended their winning streak to four games, shutting out Clearwater 2-0.
*LF Paul O’Toole went 2-for-3 with a homer (2) and 2 RBI.
*Cubs reliever Clay Rapada pitched a scoreless ninth, picking up his fourth save of the season.

A - Peoria Chiefs (19-22)
*Peoria beat Kane County 7-4.
*CF Sam Fuld and Catcher Oscar Bernard each went 2-for-4 with a double, homer, and a pair of runs scored.
*2B Eric Patterson was 2-for-5 with a triple and an RBI.

A - Boise Hawks (19-24)
*Boise lost to Salem-Keizer 7-5.
*Hawks right-hander Jose Ortiz gave up two runs in 0.1 innings of relief, suffering his second loss of the season.
*RF John Defendis went 3-for-5 with a pair of RBI.

Rookie - Mesa Cubs (0-6)
*The Cubs resume play today against the Brewers.

There have been some questions about play that ended last night's game. It was a very, very bizarre play - a passed ball on a strike three to Pat Burrell. I think the confusion started when Burrell started to run to first base. He cannot advance in that situation with the bases loaded. At third base, Jimmy Rollins did a great job - I give him a lot of credit for his baserunning on that play. Michael Barrett had a lot of different things he could do. Probably the best thing he could have done was just run Rollins all the way back to third base and at worst, go after the next hitter with the bases loaded.

Bob

Hey Gang, with everybody talking about the return of Nomar after over 3 months on the shelf and Kerry Wood going into the bullpen, I thought I'd give a quick update and the third Cub making his return, right-handed reliever Scott Williamson. He's 29 years old and has pitched with Cincinnati and Boston. The 1999 NL Rookie of the Year is coming back after his 2nd Tommy John surgery. Williamson will be returning to
action just under 10 months after the surgery, which was on October 12 of last year. He throws a 2-seam fastball, 4-seam fastball, slider, splitter and a changeup. He's a guy who used to throw 94-96 regularly, but will probably be in the low-90s when he comes back. The doctor who performed the surgery said it looked like a grenade had gone off in his elbow. He actually didn't tear anything per se, but said the tendon from the 1st TJ surgery had unraveled after some cortisone shots. So he now has used tendons from both hamstrings to fix his right elbow.

Nobody knows for sure how Williamson will fare, but when healthy, he's a very good reliever.

Len

* The series between the Cubs and the Phillies at Philadelphia has been about as tight as it gets over the last eleven plus years. The Phillies have done a better job consistently hitting for average, while the Cubs have shown a bit more power, but there has not been a lot separating these two since the strike shortened 1994 season.

Cubs @ Phillies, Since 6/8/1994

Cubs Phillies
Wins 22 22
Runs/Game 4.4 (194/44) 4.6 (204/44)
ERA 4.34 (185/383.1) 3.95 (177/403.0)
Save Pct (Sv/Opp) 66.7% (12/18) 64.3% (9/14)
Batting Avg .244 (366/1500) .269 (402/1493)
Home Runs 45 36
Runs, Inning 9+ 31 19

* Since Mark Prior’s debut in 2002 there has arguably been no pitcher in baseball as dominant when healthy.

Highest K/9, MLB Starting Pitchers, Since 5/22/2002
(min 50 IP)

Mark Prior 10.43 (636 SO/548.2 IP)
Randy Johnson 10.31
Kerry Wood 10.12
Oliver Perez 10.07
Pedro Martinez 9.85

* Brett Myers has had a roller coaster ride in 2005. He has been dominant, he has been bad, and as of late he has just been real solid for the Phillies.

Brett Myers, 2005

First 10 Starts Next 6 Starts Last 6 Starts
W-L 4-2 1-2 4-1
ERA 1.69 6.34 3.32
K/9 9.6 7.4 8.1
Opp BA .188 .328 .219
QS% 80% 50% 83%

* One obvious obstacle for Myers will be the superhuman Derrek Lee.

Cubs, Most Total Bases through First 107 Games, Since 1969

Sammy Sosa 1999 276
Derrek Lee 2005 273
Sammy Sosa 1998 269
Sammy Sosa 2000 259
Sammy Sosa 1996 257
Billy Williams 1970 255

-- Lee is currently on pace for 413 Total Bases, the all-time Cubs single season record for Total Bases is 425 by Sammy Sosa in 2001.

* The Phillies answer to Lee is Bobby Abreu. Abreu, however, is going through a prolonged power outage. He has not hit a homer since July 4th, unless you count the 41 he hit to become this year’s Home Run Derby champion.

Bobby Abreu, Longest Single Season HR Drought (PA), Career

149 6/13/1998 – 7/29/1998
133 4/28/1997 – 9/28/1997
127 6/10/2000 – 7/16/2000
120 8/7/2003 - 9/6/2003
110 7/4/2005 - 8/3/2005

* With Abreu struggling, Chase Utley and Pat Burrell have picked up the slack. For the Cubs, Lee and Aramis Ramirez have been solid RBI men all season.

Most RBI by a Duo, NL Since All-Star Break

42 Cin - Adam Dunn (25) & Javier Valentin (17)
34 Phi - Chase Utley (22) & Pat Burrell (12)
33 Mil - Geoff Jenkins (19) & Carlos Lee (14)
32 ChC - Aramis Ramirez (21) & Derrek Lee (11)
31 Fla - Juan Encarnacion (16) & Miguel Cabrera (15)

* At 54-53 almost no one has hovered around the .500 mark in the National League more than the Cubs.

Most Days at a Game Over .500, At .500, or a Game Below .500, NL 2005

New York Mets 62
Chicago Cubs 42
San Francisco Giants 34
Philadelphia Phillies 31
Florida Marlins 28

AAA - Iowa Cubs (50-58)
*Iowa resumes play today against Tucson.

AA - West Tennessee (23-15)
*West Tenn overcame a two-run deficit in the seventh inning, beating Huntsville 3-2.
*SS Nomar Garciaparra went 1-for-3 on the night.
*Diamond Jaxx right-hander Jon Searles pitched a scoreless seventh, picking up his third win of the season.
*CF Adam Greenberg was 1-for-1 with a triple and a run scored.

A - Daytona Cubs (16-22)
*Daytona extended their winning streak to three games, edging Clearwater 4-2.
*SS Francisco Salas went 3-for-4 with a two doubles, a homer and 3 RBI.
*CF Chris Walker was 1-for-3 with a pair of runs scored.

A - Peoria Chiefs (18-22)
*Peoria lost to Kane County 4-3.
*Chiefs right-hander Michael Jones gave up one unearned run in 1.0 inning of relief, suffering his second loss of the season.
*2B Eric Patterson was 1-for-2 with a homer (10), stolen base and a pair of runs scored.

A - Boise Hawks (19-23)
*Boise remains in a tie for first place despite a 4-3 loss to Salem-Keizer in extra innings
*Hawks right-hander Kyle Holden gave up two runs in 0.2 innings of relief, dropping his record to 2-2.
*2B Kyle Reynolds went 2-for-5 with a homer and 2 RBI.

A few comments/answers to some recent posts:

*Thomas and a few others are unhappy with Ryan Dempster. I'll abandon the middle-of-the-road moderator posture here for a minute. What do you want??? Dempster is 15/17 in save situations and the Cubs won the