2006 Positive Thinking Cub Thread

[bhogg]

No complaining. No griping. No arguing. Just the good stuff.

 

I'll start with a few of the obvious ones:

 

 

1) Cubs are 12-8

 

2) Maddux is 4-0, .99 ERA

 

3) We're 4-2 against St Louis

 

 

 

There are too many things going right for us to get bogged down with negativity.

 

Come on folks, our glass is more than half full.

[rocket]

DA DEMPSTER IS UNSTOPPABLE

[Backtobanks]

We're 12-8 without Wood, Prior, and Lee. Pierre, Jones, and Ramirez haven't produced as expected yet. By the end of June, the Cubs could have the equivalent of #2 and #3 starters added to the rotation and an all-star 1B added to the lineup, plus (hopefully) a productive 3B and leadoff man. This is without adding in the possibility of Miller's return. Also, the showing of some of our young pitchers increases the possibility of a package deal at midseason for an additional bat (Abreu?).

[rocket]

LEN KASPER, CRISP AS EVER IN THE BROADCAST BOOTH

[badger1679666666]

Matt Murton is Money.

 

8)

[ManCrushOnNomar]

Ronny Cedeno is en fuego, and Dusty's been smart enough to bat him in the 2 hole where he belongs!

[badger1679666666]

Our Bullpen other than today rules.

[cjbucks]

This years team looks like they can find a way to win a few games that maybe they shouldn't. The last couple of years they found new ways to lose those games.

[badger1679666666]

This year's team is really fun to watch and likeable, except Neifi.

[sunnydoo]

2 out of the playoffs with 142 to play.

 

Houston and Louis both have had a ton of home games. Houston hasnt played but one team with a pulse all season.

 

.600 translates to 97 wins, which is good enough for the playoffs.

 

All of this with having Lee, Prior, Wood, Miller, and Pagan on the DL. And without a CF, RF, 3b, reserve C, Gold Glove Reserve first off of the bench, and 2 rookies on the field.

 

Not too shabby guys.

[bhogg]

This years team looks like they can find a way to win a few games that maybe they shouldn't. The last couple of years they found new ways to lose those games.

 

 

I thought the same thing right after the 3-1 win a couple nights ago. That seemed like one of those painful 1-0 losses from years past.

[otis89]

The Cubs have 4 wins when trailing after the 7th inning. When they lose games they're trailing after the 7th, they at least make a darn good attempt at a comeback. (like today's game)

[RynoRules]

They haven't folded up the tents after losing three of their five best players for significant periods of time.

 

Neifi has been used less than last year.

 

Barrett looks like he is establishing himself as one the game's best hitting catchers.

 

Walker is playing every day.

[NorthsideBadger]

Jose Macias is no longer in a Cubs Uniform

[Ding Dong Johnson]

Freddie Bynum is a much, much better player than Cloris Leachman.

[Andy]

The Cubs are getting better production than any of us could have realistically hoped for from Cedeno, Marshall, Walker and the bullpen.

[snoodmonger]

The young pitchers look to be pretty good.

 

We're actually winning in Wrigley this year.

[NCCubFan]

Cubs are 8-0 when M & M (Maddux and Marshall) start.

[RyCubsFan]

Three young players here to stay:

 

1) Sean Marshall = 21.1 IP, only 13 hits! That is impressive. He also has a WHIP below 1.00.

 

2) Matt Murton has a .377 OBP (despite struggling somewhat) and 15 RBI's. He's a joy to watch at the plate. Beautiful swing, oustanding plate discipline, focussed young hitter.

 

3) Ronny Cedeno is playing very well. He had superb range and hustle. He has a gun for an arm. And, surprisingly, he leads the team in extra base hits.

 

Three more knocking on the door:

 

1) Guzman is healthy. He's now made his big league debut, and he was hitting 96 MPH on the radar gun. With a little more consistency in his location, he could be a mainstay in the rotation.

 

2) Felix Pie is tearing it up in Iowa. He's off to a hot start. Best of all, he already has 8 walks, which is helping alleviate fears about his plate discipline. Defensively, he's already thrown 3 runners out at the plate.

 

3) Rich Hill is dominating triple A in every sense of the word. He's leading the league in k's and is very tough to hit. It's only a matter of time before he's up with the club again.

[CubsWin]

This team is playing with the type of hustle and attitude that when they hit a grounder, they run to first almost expecting the other team to throw the ball away.

 

They are aggressive and forcing the other team to make plays, but at the same time they aren't making a lot of dumb baserunning plays.

 

When a player makes an error in the field, the entire squad buckles down with even more concentration and effort to get out of the inning without a run scoring to pick that player up.

 

Pierre and Cedeno provide electricity on the basepaths, but also with guys like Jones, Hairston and Bynum (not to mention Lee and Pagan when they return) the Cubs have the team speed to make a lot of things happen instead of hoping for a 3-run HR.

 

Baker is playing guys in a sensable way and seems to have been given a more talented roster this season.

 

Depth and options also seem to be plentiful on this roster.

 

Roberto Novoa looks on. Aardsma was lights out in AAA and is beginning to settle down after a rocky start. And they are the 6th and 7th guys out of the pen.

 

Murton is for real. Cedeno should provide decent stick. Pie is putting up similar numbers at AAA as to what he put up at AA before getting hurt.

 

The Cubs should have plenty of trade fodder come July. Assuming Prior and Wood are back and performing well by then, there will be plenty of starting pitching to trade away. There should also be some really good bullpen arms that could be dealt, too.

[soapy]

Positives:

 

Murton and Cedeno. Not only playing well, but getting full time starting duties. I was very worried about their playing time going into the season and so far, Dusty has stuck with them.

 

Walker not being traded. This has been huge now that Lee is out. Having Hairston or Perez starting at 2B (when Lee is healthy) would really hurt this offense. Walker is getting most of the time and playing well.

 

Marshall has been good (as has Hill at Iowa), and it appears for now that Guzman is healthy. If and when the other SPs come back, the Cubs will have either great depth there, or some trade fodder.

 

It looks like Wood may be back soon. Prior and Miller also seem to be progressing. Getting just two of those guys back would be a nice shot in the arm.

 

Maddux has been outstanding.

 

Barrett has been very good. Hopefully his finger injury doesn't hamper that.

 

Bullpen has been great (aside from yesterday). Need to work on the walks though (same with SP).

 

They have better team speed. How much that really matters is certainly debatable, but I'm looking for all positives here.

 

Defense has been good, including Ramirez and Murton (two players who's defense may have been a "concern" coming into the season).

[Backtobanks]

Freddie Bynum is a much, much better player than Cloris Leachman.

 

I don't know about "much, much better", let's say Bynum is a "somewhat" better player than Cloris Leachman.

[Soul]

1. Bullpen is indeed more solid than last year. Yesterday was just an aberration---it will happen to the best of them.

 

2. Dempster is a solid closer. Better than anything we've had for years. Yes, better than Borowski in '03 (even though I still love JoBo for what he gave us). There's nothing like recovering someone from the scrap heap and turning him into a prime time player. Very nice work, JH.

 

3. Matt Murton has a shot at being a solid ballplayer for years to come. He's focused, genuinely wants to learn, and is getting big hits even against good pitchers

 

4. Slam Pierre all you want. I'm still glad we have him at the top of the order instead of what we were trotting out there last year as our "leadoff hitter."

 

5. Ramirez is starting to heat up.

 

6. Marshall is pitching much better than anyone could have hoped for.

 

7. Wood is close to returning (alright, I just said it---jinxes STAY AWAY).

 

8. Greg Maddux is incredible. Enough said.

 

 

Plenty of positives going on here. Yes, we lost yesterday. We still took 2/3. Take 2/3 from the Brew Crew and I'll be very happy.

[Joe_Cub]

Thanks for this thread. My friend was looking through here the other day and said there was more bitching & moaning & crying here than at the pirates messageboard he posts at, lol.

 

The team has been alot more fun to watch with cedeno, murton & marshall playing. Maddux has been fanfrickintastic and carried this team. I hope he stays a cub until he retires and then I hope he stays on as coach or manager.

[IWU_CUBS_FAN]

I just love the heart of this team...it almost seems like the youngsters are pumping life into the veterans. Plus, leading the league through 20 games with 4 comeback wins is saweet