| Triple Play: Fish Fry | ||||
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The Cubs came off a disappointing series in Arizona where they allowed the worst offense in baseball to score seven and 10 runs, respectively, in two of the games and reeled in the Marlins of Florida, taking three of four. It looks like turning the calendar is just what the doctor ordered, with the Cubs now undefeated in three games for the month of May. Triple Play breaks down the Cubs first series victory in 15 days: 1. Still A Riot Ryan Theriot was more than money during the four-game set, recovering nicely from an average series in Arizona. In a matter of two games on Friday and Saturday, Theriot managed to double his whopping home run total from 2008 and now has two on the year through only 23 games. Friday’s blast turned out to be a game-winning grand slam, and Saturday’s gave the Cubs a 2-0 lead before Ted Lilly even took the mound. Everything was clicking for The Riot against Florida, with seven hits, six RBIs, and one run scored in three of the four games. I wrote here that moving Theriot to the second spot in the batting order would benefit the Cubs more than batting him seventh or eighth. Hitting after Alfonso Soriano in each game against the Marlins paid major dividends. Not only was he able to drive in Soriano with the two home runs, in the finale simply getting on-base allowed Derrek lee to bring him home two batters later with a grand slam of his own. With great pop in his bat and a knack for getting on base, Theriot is simply better served near the top of the lineup. 2. Give Me the Green light With the spirit of the 135th running of the Kentucky Derby in the air, The Cubs were off to the races on the base paths. A total of seven stolen bases contributed to their taking three of four from the Marlins. That number would have been eight had Joey Gathright not over slid second base in a steal attempt during Saturday’s game. More than anything, the most encouraging part of the increased activity on base is the fact that it reflects an increase in awareness on the part of the Cubs. Realizing that Ronny Paulino has a weak arm and being able to take advantage of, and exploit that weakness made the Cubs a threat to score every time they put a runner on first. In Sunday’s victory Mike Fontenot used the slow delivery of Matt Lindstrom to his benefit and swiped second base in the eighth inning. He may not have scored, but getting into scoring position for a potential insurance run in a two run ballgame should not be underestimated. You can credit the scouting report for giving the players this knowledge, but the Cubs have been notorious for their mental lapses once they get out of the batter’s box. Seeing them take the scouting report and put it to good use is a good sign as we move into the second month of the season. 3. Raising 31 Before the start of Sunday’s game the Cubs bestowed the highest honor of the organization by raising the numbers of two living legends. Ferguson Jenkins and Greg Maddux had their number 31 retired during a pre-game ceremony at Wrigley Field. The Hall of Famer Jenkins was the first pitcher in Major League history to record 3,000 strikeouts while walking less than 1,000 in his career. Maddux retired with that same engraving on his plaque, and is guaranteed a first ballot Hall of Fame entry. Seeing them both join the likes of Ron Santo, Billy Williams, Ernie Banks, and Ryne Sandberg made for a special day at Wrigley. Maddux’s son, Chase, threw out the ceremonial first pitch to his dad afterwards. The pitch was a wild one that bounced in the right hand batter’s box. With a father like Greg, pinpointing that precision in the future is sure to become second nature for young Chase. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Closing Quote: “Now, he thinks he's a power hitter. He told me I can't tell him anything now because he's a home run hitter." – Cubs 1B Derrek Lee on Ryan Theriot and his newfound power stroke. * “Triple Play” will now resume as a column written on a series-by-series basis
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