Long Ball Helps Defeat the Bucs

Josh Fogg and the Pirates were in for a rough afternoon at Wrigley. The Cubs bats did some damage, scoring 7 runs with a grand slam coupled with a three-run homer from Jerry Hairston and Aramis Ramirez. Kerry Wood pitched a solid game once again, going six innings and giving up one run. The final score was 11-1. Moving a game over .500 still puts the Cubs at least 11.5 games back in the Central depending on the outcome of the Astros vs. Cardinals game. The main concern for Chicago is keeping the offense roaring, being productive. The starting rotation looks fine after coping with the injuries. They are just missing one or two elements that can put them over the top. Coming down the stretch, the Cubs must play well rounded, full team effort baseball. Their schedule is never easy in mid August and September since they normally play the toughest teams in the National league(Dodgers, Braves, Cardinals, and Giants). Since injuries and problems have plagued contenders in the west, it takes a little pressure off the Cubs.

Tommorrow poses a challenge as Pittsburgh will start Zach Duke, a young, talented rookie that was called up recently from Triple A. He is a flame thrower that relies on his fastball. Derek Lee and the boys in Wrigleyville will see if they can handle the young right hander's heat. Closing out the month of July with a sense of renewed confidence and a decent record bodes well for the Cubs. I'm glad that the owner didn't decide to trade for Preston Wilson, who went to the Nationals last week. The guy wasn't right for the club nor would he have been the kind of player that produces big in the clutch. For once in the team's history, the owner and GM need to stop being so cheap and pick up a real quality budding star who could reap major dividends. It's time for these guys in the front office to get jerked or smacked around until they come to their senses. Enough is enough, it's time to create a successful winning team that can win a World Series. There is a valid, dispensable source of revenue constantly growing because the fans contribute to rising attendances each summer, not to mention the profit made from merchandise and food at the ballpark. So there better not be any damn excuses about lack of money. The 2005 season is a good 2 and a half months from being over and with the right changes the Cubs can still be in the race and clinch the playoffs. First they'll have to get through this month avoiding a losing skid.