It's a big series, yes. The Cubs could just about knock fading Milwaukee out of the Central race by sweeping the Brewers, who have lost four in a row and 7 of their last 10. But should Alfonso Soriano play if he's less than 100 percent?
There's little question that the Cubs would not gamble with a $136 million player, but he is coming back a week earlier than expected from his torn quad. And we've seen Cubs pitchers in the past come back too early.
Would you rest him another week, or is this series too big?
the MRI is clear? and the docs and trainers are right?
Ya know what...no, I wouldn't let him play..I run faster than most...I had this injury and it fools ya....fooled my coaches/trainers too....scoring from first, I felt great.....till I rounded third...snap, ping
legging out a ball in left...laying out to catch it...no way
OK..I convinced me....No..I would not let Soriano play just yet
If I'm correct they are just activating him. That doesn't mean they would be starting him right away. He might just be in a position to pinch hit or be a distraction for the brewers who would be thinking "i wonder when the fonz is going to hit" or whatever chess match lou is going to pull.If he is starting right away then i don't think it is a good idea to jeopardize october for a few days at the end of august.
I cant believe my own words, but im with HITMANIAC!!!
Hitman, I must say I agree with your 'sports topic' posts....but when it comes to business and ethics....you are way off("Lovie Smith is just middle management"). So I don't know where this falls....because you know Prior and Wood were 'ready' all those times....yet they really need Soriano. Ok I agree with you on this.
Mr. Modrowski. How about a topic on ESPN's unwillingness to air anything regarding sports today? The WHOLE day was spent covering Michael Vick....what is with this Network??? Skip Bayless really made ESPN look like Idiots. They were trying to position him as a representive of 'whites'. Those two black dudes really handed it to him. That's all I saw though....10 minutes of ABC bleeding into ESPN. Now we will undoubtly have to see commercials for ESPN's movie about Michael Vick every 5 minutes. SPORTS doggone it. SPORTS.
Start him! There might not be a playoff if the Cubs don't get rid of Milwaukee. That sound we all hear is the wings of the Cardinals making up ground. I think it will shake down to the Cardinals in first place while the Cubs and Brewers fight it out for second best. The Cubs can do themselves a major favor and eliminate them now. That means playing Soriano. They don't play him and risk waking up a dangerous foe. All it takes is a spark.
"You cant start a fire, you cant start a fire without a spark
This guns for hire even if were just dancing in the dark"
Bruce Springsteen
Play him,but not at lead-off. In any case, we'll find out tonight whether he's back playing smart or swinging at everything and looking like Zambrano when he's trying to blast an outside pitch to the moon.
Roman,
I am a Sox fan so here goes.
Start him, let him play out the season, torn quad and all, possibly reinjure it, and by the start of next year he will not be a 40-40 man ever again.
Podsednik is killing me with these leg injuries, but we only have him for this year, you have Soriano 7 more. This way the Cubs will never get closer than the Sox again in the near future.
Skip is a total pompus Dbagizzle, but he does make good arguments everynow and then. I miss Woody!!
Soriano being ready certainly will be a plus for cubs.The cubs must show they have what it takes to stay in first. Kendall messing up on bunt are things that don't happen usually to teams that will be race all the way. Cubs need to put distance between themselves & Cards. Brewers have faded even though numbers wise they are still in race.St.Louis all along this year I had the feeling they would find a way to get back in it.They have a great manager who seems to get the best out of his players.Soriano hopefully will help Cubs put some W's together ..
Keith Lifetime AlwaysWrong,
I wish you were a sportswriter, so that my blog could cover the things you say guilt-free. St. Louis has the worst record of the 3, has bad pitching (20th in MLB), has bad offense (27th in MLB), and should have a 57-70 record and be nowhere close due to their runs scored and runs allowed. The CARDINALS are the favorite to win the division? Really???
If you look at the expected W/L records, the Cubs have easily been the best team, and the actual W/L records are kind of close due to some bad luck (and if you disagree with bad luck being the cause, you have to concede that Piniella is a bad manager, which I don't necessarily agree with). The Cubs are favored to win the NL Central.
As for Soriano, play him. The Brewers series is too big to hold him back. Craig Monroe has slipped from mediocre to awful this season. Jones and Murton are bad. The underappreciated Cliff Floyed is still only middle of the road at the plate. And I STILL don't think people understand how weak a player Felix Pie is (talking about right now, not in the future....what he does 4 years from now has no impact on the current penant race). Soriano's above-average .280 EqA needs to be in the lineup as well as his suprisingly excellent glove (+13 Fielding Runs Above Average this season)
bculzzy...thanks man...I guess the only thing left now is world peace...lol
stuckinwisconsin...you're right...I overgeneralized Lovie's input in/to/of the starting roster....I guess I should have specified it to RexandCed... in concerns to where Jerry drafted them...and why they are starting...Benson couldn't beat out TJ...Benson is making some serious money...nature of the business...not unethical, but sticking with a bad choice because we have to.. with Rex...a lot has been invested as far as time...and the last year of his contract...not unethical, but another bad business decision..
Ethics in business is an oxymoron, tho...two restructures in two different publicly traded corporations...ethics take a back seat to poor business decisions...although I personally owe thanks to 'em...I wouldn't be doing what I do if it wasn't for that
Well, I'll be holding my breath.... and holding a gun to a billy goats head watching Soriano's return
BBBBBBUSINESSSSSSS ETTTTHHIICS ?!?!???!?!!
Noles, I see you AGREE with me that the Cubs should have played Soriano.
And if you don't think that the defending champs are the favorite to win down the stretch (only 2 games back)...what can I say.
Don't play him. He went 0 for 4 :)
On the other hand, he may be our only hope to keep Craig Monroe out of the lineup. Anyone else notice that we lost two one-run games in a row against Arizona, with Monroe batting fourth one day and fifth the next, and going 0 for everything with RISP (which there were a lot of when he was at bat)?
I'm not saying Piniella is a bad manager, but he's made more than one mistake like this. He's also done a lot of good things, but the games we've lost with Craig Monroes and Will Ohmans put into crucial situations go a long way to explain why our actual Win/Loss record is lower than our expected Win/Loss record. He's also babied our bullpen to the point that he would rather throw away a game than fight to win and risk making his relievers tired, which is so Dusty-like it makes my stomach turn.
You are supposed to save the starter's arms by using your relievers, not the other way around. This is Baseball 101. Go Cubs.
I cant believe no one got my Billy Madison reference...im so dissapointed!
I cant believe no one got my Billy Madison reference...im so dissapointed!