An Easter parade of Cubs stuff

MILWAUKEE _ It's always fun to take a look at the exaggerated numbers early in the baseball season. So on this Easter Sunday, as we get ready for prime-time action on ESPN, let's look at some of those numbers.

--Ryan Theriot is tied for first in the NL in on-base percentage at .619. He also entered today second in batting average, at .563. He goes into tonight's game 9-for-16 with 4 walks and no strikeouts. He also laid down a nice bunt for a basehit last night.

--Mike Fontenot came into today 16th in OBP, at .476, and Kosuke Fukudome was 27th, at .450. It sure looks to me like Fukudome is being more aggressive at the plate. You can do that and still be a high-OBP guy. Hitting coaches will say that a hitter should look for his pitch to hit and hit it, no matter what the count, because it may be the only one he gets. I asked Lou about the aggressiveness after last night's game. "I think so," Lou said. "I really do. He looks like the hitter he was early in the year last year. Let's hope he keeps getting better and better _ at least as good."

Speaking of Lou and Fukudome, it'll be interesting to see if ESPN analyst Steve Phillips pays a visit to Lou's office before the game. During spring training, Phillips criticized Lou's handling of Fukudome last year, saying Lou wasn't patient in letting Fukudome assimilate.

On the downside of the numbers game, Milton Bradley is 1-for-16, and D-Lee is 2-for-22. Both players came out this afternoon for early batting practice in a group that included Reed Johnson, Aaron Miles, Koyie Hill and others. In fact, there were a lot of Cubs on the field shortly after 2 in the afternoon.

--Was going over some of the WHIP numbers for the bullpen. WHIP is walks plus hits per 1 inning pitched. Here's how they look for the bullpen guys entering tonight's game:

Heilman 1.64
Marmol 1.09
Guzman 1.29
Gregg 3.50
Patton 0.50
Cotts 2.25
Vizcaino 0.00

Lou was talking before last night's game how he and his staff were of "the school" that says let the other team beat you late by hitting the ball, not by walking. Fewer things drive Lou crazier than his relievers issuing walks.

On the flip side, Lou is the anti-Dusty when it comes to his batters taking walks. In other words, he doesn't mind walks "clogging the bases." He also points out how walks can turn the lineup over and bring up the good hitters more quickly.

"You can see what walks do," he said. "They turn the order."

Back with lineups and such later.