Alfonso Soriano continued his hot streak yesterday with another home run (7 in 13 games). He also made a diving catch off those rickety knees and got a double play out of the deal. So, Alfonso, how does it feel to be hitting again?
“I’m feeling so good at home plate right now,” Soriano said. “I know I didn’t hit (a home run) in like six weeks but sometimes it’s so difficult to hit one. Now I feel so good and I’m happy to help the team to win.”
Dale Sveum, is your continued confidence in Soriano being validated?
“Hopefully when the season’s over that media guide doesn’t lie,” Sveum said. “When you get enough at-bats for these guys who have had a track record like Soriano you look up sometimes and they might be struggling for a month and you look at the end of the year and they have their 30 home runs and 90-100 RBIs. It’s the way these guys are.”
And back to the Fonz, what’s up with your improvement in left field this year?
“I was working hard in spring training with (outfield coach) Dave McKay and I’m working hard in the season too,” he said. “I try to get better every day and prove to myself that I can play very good defense. That’s all I do is to work hard every day to get better.”
It is nice to see him giving max effort, despite the fact that he limps like he’s had both knees replaced.
As happy as Dale has been with Soriano, he’s got someone else in mind for team MVP so far.
‘‘I can’t say enough about Camp this year,’’ Sveum said. ‘‘He’s been put in all these different roles, and he’s done a nice job. He’s always had a rubber arm, and nothing seems to faze him. He may be our MVP to this point.”
I remember bemoaning the fact that the Cubs pulled him off the scrap heap in Spring Training. And I’ve been wrong. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and after losing about 27 catchers, the Cubs had to turn to Koyie Hill. None of us has been wrong about him, he still stinks. Luckily, Steve Clevenger is back. Can we see more of him, Dale?
‘‘We’ll ease him back in, but he’ll play often,’’ manager Dale Sveum said.
That’s a relief. Today’s game is another 1:20 Central start time, and features Anthony Bass (2-5, 3.55) against Ryan Dempster (0-3, 2.14). It will be televised on CSN. Today’s lineup:
DeJesus rf
Castro ss
Mather cf
LaHair 1b
Soriano lf
Stewart 3b
Barney 2b
Clevenger c
Dempster p
Let’s get that record to 3-12 in the last 15 games!
I’m interviewing Mitch Williams in 3 minutes. What do you want me to ask him?
Ask him how is fastball is and if he’d be willing to close games for the Cubs this season.
Did he ever want to get into coaching?
Did the name “Wild Thing” ever bother him?
What franchise that he played for does he most identify himself with?
I’m guess all my questions were too late…but still.
Joe Carter?
I’m fully expecting Clevenger to be back on the DL by the 3rd inning today.
We might yet see Michael Brenly this season.
I wouldn’t hold your breath on that.
All Koyie, all the time.
So Mitch Williams–not a fan of Mike Quade. He’d fit in well here.
I’m just guessing, but I don’t think Mike Quade was much of a fan of Mike Quade.
I believe that even Will Rogers would not have been a Mike Quade fan, which leaves his mom…
Being from Oklahoma, I can assure you that Will Rogers never met a person he didn’t like. Personally I still like Mike Quade & I don’t think they gave him a fair chance or a team capable of winning. Makes me wonder if Dale & staff will still be here after the season. It sure makes you wonder doesn’t it?
I would have asked Williams if he ever felt like smacking any of the other commentators, and which ones…
Kevin Millar is a pretty obvious answer to that one.
Just saw on Fangraphs that Castro is on pace to accomplish something few players have been able to do over a full season…have more caught steals than walks.
So can “Dempy” pick up his first win today? Prolly not…
where can said interview be read/heard?
The Cubs are not winning right now.
the Cubs are not losing right now
now they are
Anthony Bass has just been jettisoned from my fantasy roster…
Isn’t he that one guy from that one boy band?
He pitched like it today…
Castro just hustled his ass off with that infield single, I’m impressed and Campana with 2 stolen bases to tie the game 6-6, I don’t mind anymore when the Cubs lose but this team is just fun to watch. So much more exciting then so many previous teams before…. I smell change
Cubs win.
Barney Homer, Cubs Win!
Darwin Barney – you can’t stop him, you can only hope to contain him…
Trust me…I can stop him.
Go for Barney!
Just so you know Julie, the goat was not brought to Wrigley. Only the hikers were at Wrigley holding a picture of the goat or so I read.
3 in a row with runs being scored,Soriano hitting & fielding, a sweep,& ok, Demp didn’t get a win and Marmol walked 2 batters in an inning of work but maybe the grip of the curse has lost a little strength from that 100 day journey.
I read about the walk and how it transpired on NPR.org a few weeks ago and they went through Tulsa and my daughter was going to try and meet up with them.Don’t know if she ever did.
Anyway, I thought it was pretty funny, the goat got to ride the walk in a kids stroller.
Now on to S.F. and let’s keep this thing going.
GO CUBS!!!
I go now to toast the sweep.