Rumors a plenty

Add comment June 13th, 2008

With Alfonso Soriano out for six weeks, focus has moved to Jim Hendry’s and Lou Piniella’s to do list.

We’ve heard talk of making a move for C.C. Sabathia as No. 2 in the rotation and adding left-handed power to the line-up in Ken Griffey Jr.

The latest rumor: Scott Podsednik? That’s a laugh. But then again, so was Jim Edmonds.

Interleague intrigue

Add comment June 13th, 2008

Before the start of the season, I had been disappointed by the schedule-makers. How could they have the NL Central face the AL East and NOT match the Cubs up with either the Red Sox or the Yankees.

Then, I had an epiphany: The Cubs DON’T have to face the gargantuan payroll clubs. That’s good. They can beat up on the Rays, the Jays and the O’s!

But now, the rest of the AL East looks more than competent. The Rays took three of four games from Bridgeport a couple of weeks ago. Toronto and Baltimore have, for the most part, been hanging around .500.

This should be a good test.

Soriano vs. Pujols

1 comment June 13th, 2008

It seems like the same folks who were ready to dump Alfonso Soriano when he was struggling are the same ones who are nearly apoplectic now that he’s going to be on the disabled list for at least six weeks.

Soriano was playing well, leading the team in home runs, fourth in RBIs and looked like he was starting to feel his legs again. But the Cubs were able to win without him and when he played poorly, so there’s no reason to think they can’t continue to win while his broken hand heals.

The Cubs are better positioned with Micah Hoffpauir, Eric Patterson and perhaps Matt Murton down the road to weather Soriano’s injury than the St. Louis Cardinals are without Albert Pujols. The Cardinals are better off in the fact that Pujols will only be sidelined half as long as Soriano.

The Cardinals are 3.5 games behind the Cubs and show no signs of going away.