Derrek Lee is really disgusted by those white hats (or the Cubs offense).
(pic via the Associated Press)
The Pirates have just dominated the Cubs...their hitting, their pitching and even their defense. Overall, the Pirates have played slightly better of late, but if it wasn't for the Cubs, they would be fighting with Houston and Arizona for the title of "Worst Team in the National League".
This is what most people would call "playing down to your opponents". I hate that term (though I've probably used it a few times here) but something just isn't right here.
So far this season, the Cubs schedule has been quite easy, and believe it or not, it remains easy through the month of June. The Cubs will play only one team with a record over .500, and that is Oakland, who I suspect won't be over .500 for very much longer. The only other good team on their schedule this month is Los Angeles-Orange County-Pasadena-Long Beach Angels of Anaheim, who have played surprisingly poorly to start this season. I still expect them to win the AL-West this year and I figure they will turn their season around when the face the Cubs in the middle of the month.
Anyway, back to the point, the Cubs are in the process of blowing a huge opportunity to really dominate the first half of their season. The second half of the season is quite a bit more difficult...include 12 of their 15 games against the Cardinals occur after the All-Star break. All seven of their game against the surprising Giants have yet to occur. Ten more games against the division co-leaders, Reds, happen in the second half. And the Cubs have a lot of games against the tough NL East yet including the Marlins who they haven't played yet. Not a single team in the NL-East is below .500 at this point of the season.
***************************
Ok...so the Cubs actually did everything that they should have yesterday as far as roster moves are concerned. Andrew Cashner was called up, Gorzelanny went to the pen, and John Grabow was placed on the DL with a problem with his *cough cough* knee. I think the problem is that he can't pitch, but I'm not sure that is a legal reason to place a player on the DL. I'm hoping he goes on an extended rehab assignment and that we don't see him again until at least the end of July. To those of you who think the Cubs should just dump him...that isn't likely to happen with the contract he was given this off-season.
Cashner made his debut yesterday and got former Cubs failure, Ronny Cedeno, to pop out weakly. Cashner has a bit of a Kerry Wood look to him....he doesn't throw like him, but his stature on the mound and his goatee remind me a lot of Wood. And his fast ball is about as impressive as Wood's was.
Now the Cubs have 3 of their top prospects playing on their team with Castro, Cashner and Colvin (the three C's!) That isn't a great sign for a team that many people thought should be competing for a division title.
