Is This the Cubbie Swagger?

By: Nick Lemke

Could this be it, the Cubs team we have all been waiting for? With Wednesday’s win, the Cubs find themselves in the midst of a six-game winning streak; holding a 38-39 record at the end of June. One game under .500 just before the All-Star break may not seem like a great feat, but remember, this team did finish 30 games under .500 last year.

There are a couple reasons for why this club has turned it around, and how they are playing the way everyone knew they could. Pay attention to player’s attitudes and the aura of the clubhouse - you won’t see anyone yelling or arguing with one another. The Cubs are laughing, celebrating walk-off hits, and winning ball games in bunches. It looks like the team finally has something we can call “chemistry.”

Speaking of chemistry, how about Ryan Theriot and Mike Fontenot? Both players played for LSU, winning a championship together. Fontenot and Theriot have been in the middle of the action since their arrival in the bigs; just the other night Fontenot went 3 for 4, a triple away from the cycle. Even at 5′8″ he hits for power and has a .408 batting average. Theriot, whose bat has cooled down considerably, still has excellent range at shortstop and second base.

Their presence has had a tremendous effect on the team. It’s not only their hitting and fielding that helps the team, it’s also the spark the young players bring with them. Minor Leaguers don’t have too many chances to prove themselves in the big leagues, but Fontenot and Theriot have been putting on a hell of a show for Piniella and Cubs fans.

The young guns haven’t done all the work, though - the Cubs’ starting pitchers have played a big role in the recent wins. During the six-game streak, our pitching staff has only given up 12 runs. Since Zambrano’s “new season” began, he has been lights out, dropping his ERA to 4.20 from 5.62 at the beginning of June. Marquis and Lilly have not been consistent enough, but they do keep us in games. As for Rich Hill, he has been sharp in most of his starts this year. At times it looks like he’s tipping his pitches, like last week against San Diego, but Hill is a good pitcher; he will work out these kinks and finish the season strong. Our most underrated pitcher, Sean Marshall, has been working wonders since he came up. During the streak he contributed a shutout over the White Sox for 6.1 innings. As long as the Cubs pitching staff is keeping opponents in check, the big bats should be able to carry us into the playoffs.

And it’s been so enjoyable to watch Soriano play. Since the weather warmed up, his bat has gotten extremely hot, and the home runs are coming with impressive frequency (I especially enjoyed the one off of David Wells). Let’s not forget his rocket arm: Soriano has ten outfield assists this year. Coaches will start thinking twice about sending their players home with Soriano patrolling left field. Making big plays from the outfield and crushing clutch hits makes Alfonso a valuable asset to this team. Still, he could potentially be put to better use batting 3rd-through-5th in the lineup. No one is denying Soriano hits for power, so why not move him down in the order so he can drive in runs?

The Cubs recent winning streak can carry them into the second half of the season with a great deal of momentum. With the combination of good pitching, solid prospects, and all-star veterans, the Cubs look like they are on the right track to the post season. The only cloud that hangs over the heads of players and fans alike is the Milwaukee Brewers. Milwaukee has won five of their last six, so the win streak has led to only a half-game of progress towards catching the Brewers, who currently have a 7.5 game lead over the Cubs in the NL Central.

Signs point to Milwaukee eventually slowing down, though. I don’t see them staying injury free and swinging hot bats all year long. Many of the players are young, unproven stars; others (J.J. Hardy, Ben Sheets) have long histories of injury issues. The only other team capable of competing down the stretch is St. Louis, who has their number one and two pitchers are on the way back from the DL.

The Cubs will try to continue their winning streak this afternoon, going against Milwaukee at Wrigley. It is a crucial series before the all-star break. With a chance to draw within 4.5 games of Milwaukee or fall 10.5 behind, you can understand the importance. There’s only one thing left to say - Go Cubs!

Nick Lemke is a web designer, freelance sportswriter and Cubs fan, and writes a Cubs blog at www.cubbielove.com.

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