Cubby-Blue

Cubs Playoff Roster: The Rest Of The Outfield

The Catch.
I don't really need to say anything more.
In a season of absolutely spectacular Cub defense, Reed Johnson made a play that has since gone beyond folklore and has officially reached legendary status.
The Catch.
On April 25th in Washington, the Nationals' Felipe Lopez hit a ball so hard and far over everybody's head that, you know, it was a double for sure.
But Reed ran straight for the wall at a hundred miles an hour, caught the ball and at the same time crashed into the wall leading with his head.
Then he got up, the brim of his hat flipped up like Gomer Pyle, and held the ball up for the ump as Mark DeRosa stood there with his jaw all dropped.
It was the kind of fearless play that makes you... no matter what Reed Johnson ever does again in his whole career, he's the guy that made The Catch.
He can hit too so, you know, one of the reasons to watch.
Reed Johnson, the gamer.

I know for a fact that there are still Cub fans who dislike Jim Edmonds because he was a Cardinal.
Get over it.
This is a guy in the twilight of a brilliant career, and he's been places that most Cubs only dream about.
Like the World Series.
Couple weeks ago (seems like a month now) when everybody was worrying about how the Cubs were going to celebrate when they won the Central - now about the stupidest thing I can imagine wasting breath on - there was an interview with Edmonds that I wish I had the transcript to.
He basically said yeah, it's great, this winning the division thing.
But you've got to look at the bigger picture and remember that's where you wanna go.
So, he's been brilliant in center, he's hit some clutch and meaningful home runs, and I am telling you a guy like Jim on this team at this time is experience multiplied by the mojo of him being here at all.
He's a Cub, and he wants another ring, and he can help them get it.

Imagine what Kosuke Fukudome has gone through in the last 6 months.
In about the same amount of time my tomato plants have been alive, he's gone from being a Japanese God to the Rookie Phenom to NL All-Star to the Struggling Guy that people are doubting.
His head must be spinning like a tornado.
Not once has he made an excuse, or even said how stupid those headbands are you see for sale around Wrigley.
I have nothing but respect for him, and my expectation is that he will catch up to himself, become whole again, and be twice as good next year as he is this year.
I believe he had an enormous effect on this Cub team early, especially showing patience at the plate.
I believe we've never seen a guy play right field in Wrigley as well as he does.
And I still believe we will see him do something remarkable before this season is over.
I'm so pulling for this new kid.

Cubs Playoff Roster: The Starters

When it became official, the moving from closer to starter thing, well... I sure didn't think it would actually work.
Then I saw him at the Cubs Convention and I thought man, that guy's been working out.
He was.
He came into camp in the best shape of his life, and look what happened.
17 wins and the honor of starting game one of the NLDS game vs. the Dodgers.
Awesome.
The other thing about Ryan Dempster is his mouth.
He's funny, he's honest, and twice this year he's made bold predictions.
One came true when he called the impossible Rockies Comeback Game.
The other is uh, still up in the air.
That's the one where he said the Cubs would go to the unmentionable series this year.
So, just hoping he's truly clairvoyant.
He'll be starting tomorrow night against 14-11 Dodger starter Derek Lowe, who's given up 9 runs in his last 10 games so he's kinda hot.
But Mr. Dempster has been sort of the Wrigley Goalie this year, winning an incredible 14 games at home (Fergie Jenkins holds the record at 15).
Can't wait.

There are a handful of guys who get to be Chicago Icons.
You can't touch Jordan or Ditka, but that next level down is pretty impossible to get to too.
The one with Walter Payton and Ryne Sandberg.
Big Z can get in that club.
First off, he's amazing. He got the no-hitter against the Astros. The movement on his pitches is insane. He learned from Greg Maddux that you don't have to strike out every batter, he has the kind of fabulous outspoken personality we all spark to here... he's literally this close to icon.
But there's the "emotional" part.
Not saying it holds him back because it seems to fire him up, but sometimes (like in the most important game of his young life) he needs to learn to count to ten.
I'll be counting on him to do just that on Thursday night.
Carlos, you can be as good as you want to be.
What's it gonna be, bro?

When Jim Hendry got Rich Harden, I had to ask around to find out more about him.
I heard 2 basic things: "best pitcher in baseball" and "he gets hurt alot".
But this trade happened at the exact moment when you were saying God, please get us one more pitcher.
And I think he's the missing piece.
I've seen him be conservatively brilliant, and to have him start the third game of any series is an emormous advantage because nobody's got a 3 as good as Rich Harden can be.

This year Ted Lilly has come into his own as a Cub.
Everybody I know loves this guy.
He swings the bat kinda funny and he looks like he could maybe be a TSA guy at the airport.
But I doubt you'll find anybody on this team who is more of a competitor.
When he took out Cardinal catcher Yadier Molina going shoulders first into home plate, well of course it scared the hell out of you.
But then you went, "Damn, that guy isn't kidding around."
Thus the nickname.

You can make yourself crazy trying to figure out who the ace of this staff is, but the fact is they're the most talented total group of Cubs starting pitchers I've ever seen.

Cubs Playoff Roster: The Louisiana Connection

Ryan Theriot, "The Riot".
Most people say "spunky".
Like he doesn't really have the talent to be here, but rather got to where he is by trying harder than anyone else.
I used to think that too.
2 Springs ago, Lou Piniella showed up as the new Cubs manager, watched this kid play and told him not to worry about his spring training.
Told him he was gonna make the team no matter.
Couple months later Lou traded starting shortstop Cezar Izturis, and Ryan became the starter.
Another reason why I'm not the manager.
Lou sees stuff you and I don't, and 2 years ago he saw a rock on the sidewalk, picked it up and gave it a little polish.
So 2007 was pretty much his first full season, and Ryan ran out of gas towards the end.
His numbers fell.
All anybody could talk about at the beginning of 2008 were his numbers, and he could only defend himself by saying that stats aren't everything.
But that's a hard place to hang your hat with the loud opinions around Chicago.
There was a game at the beginning of the year, back when statistics had to be a giant concern of his.
The Cubs were up by about 10, and it was maybe the 8th inning.
Ryan hits a sharp grounder deep in the hole and flat out beat the throw, but the ump called him out.
Ryan heard the call, put his head down and ran back to the dugout without a word.
Woulda been pretty selfish to argue about a hit that meant nothing to anything but Ryan's average.
And right there I thought well, he really doesn't play for stats.
He's just a team player.
Who happens to lead the best team in the National League with his .307 average.

The official height and weight of Mike Fontenot is five feet eight inches and one hundred and seventy pounds.
He walked right by me at the Cubs Convention this last year, and I think those numbers are about right.
He's one of the reasons I believe baseball is the perfect sport - you don't have to be some kind of eccentric physical type to play.

This year he's played in 119 games, had 243 at-bats, walked 34 times and had 74 hits.
9 of them have gone out of the park, he's slugging .514 and his average is .305.
Those are pretty good numbers for a guy five eight.
It's cliche, but I think if you're Mike Fontenot you play with a little bigger chip on your shoulder.
He's the back up 2nd baseman, and a lefty bat off the bench.

Fontenot and Theriot started at second and short for the 2000 National Champion Louisiana State Tigers.
How weird and cool is it that they ended up together here and now?

Cubs Playoff Roster: DeRosa

We all know Mark DeRosa.
He was that kid in high school who lettered in 3 sports, he was the captain of the football and baseball team.
Played forward on the basketball team, pitched and hit for power in baseball, played quarterback.
The track coaches begged him to run in meets when the baseball team wasn't playing.
He made all-state and got a scholly to a school with a big-time sports program.
Mark DeRosa is that guy.
The jock.
He got all the ink and all the girls and all he wanted to do was win.
Now, I don't know if that describes Mark perfectly, but I'm pretty sure it's real close.
And now he's all grown up and playing for the Chicago Cubs.
He does so many things, is so skilled at so many facets of the game that you can only marvel when he goes from infield to outfield and back in the course of a single game.
And it never seems to bother his bat a bit.
He's hit 87 RBIs, 21 homers, 30 doubles with a .285 average, and played in 149 games.

He twanged his calf a couple games ago, but says he's good to go.
I sure hope so, cause he's more than just one piece of the puzzle.
He's about four.

Lastly, I think you'll remember this catch he made against the Cards just a little while ago.
Remember the face of that woman, the one he stole the ball from?
Priceless.

Cubs Playoff Roster: Soriano and Soto

Alfonso Soriano has the power to take over a game or a series all by himself.
If he gets hot like only he can, he literally becomes the wild card in a deck that doesn't have any.
He leads off for the Cubs, and if he does so with a homer it ruins the opposing pitcher.
He'll be thinking about the mistake he made all the way up until the next time Alfonso comes up.
And if Alfonso simply gets on, he's crazy and fearless on the basepath so now the pitcher's got to worry if he's gonna run or keep running.
We'll all be a little worried about the colder weather and his legs, of course.
But I just cannot wait for the first pitch in this Dodger series.
As Harry Caray once said, "It might be. I could be. It..."

How did this happen?
One minute we had just another Cub catcher behind the plate.
You know that guy - can't hit, doesn't have an arm, but "handles the pitchers very well".
Then out of nowhere came Geovany Soto.
The starting catcher for the NL in the 2008 All-Star game, surely the 2008 Rookie of the Year, and the Cubs' stud pup.
Unafraid, unimpressed, and unlike any rookie I've seen in a Cub uniform.
He handles Big Z, Rich Harden, the press, his expectations, pressure... all like he's been doing it for years.
He's got 23 homers, 86 RBIs, a .285 batting average, a cannon, and nothing gets by him when he's behind the plate.
They say the Cubs have no mvp's.
I think they have about 6, and Geo may just be the top one.