Talking hitting with Von
Walked into Wrigley Field just as Mark DeRosa was getting out of a cab.
"How's your leg?" I said.
"It hurts like hell," he said.
There you have it. After running into the bullpen telephone box in left field yesterday, DeRo was a late lineup scratch for today's game against the Cubs. The sun is out, and we'll get to the lineups in a sec.
Had a chance with a couple other writers to visit with Von Joshua in the dugout. Let's just say I found him the most engaging hitting coach since Jeff Pentland, and Jeff hasn't been here for a few years.
I'll have a whole bunch more later online and in the Sunday paper. It looks to me like Von will try to strike a balance between wanting aggressive hitters and wanting patience. He said it was "huge" that Soriano walked to start the game-winning rally yesterday. I asked him how he viewed the whole patient-aggressive thing:
"We like to work the count and make the pitcher work," Von said. "But as we all know, you get some of these guys like (Cliff) Lee or some of these guys get ahead, if they throw strike one, a fastball strike one, it’s bad if you pop it up. It’s great if you square it up. You only get three strikes.
“It’s a twofold. You like to see them work the count, but if they groove that fastball, square it up. A lot of guys will say, ‘It was on the outer third of the plate.’ Well, square it up to the opposite field and try and go the other way. It’s still the fastball. I cannot stand to see guys take a fastball for a strike.”
Let's talk All-Star game for a minute. Ted Lilly (7-4, 2.94 ERA) goes for the Cubs today against Tomo Ohka. It looks to me like Lilly will be the Cubs' lone all-star representative. Or he should be, if the Cubs are sending only one.
What about our old pal Jason Marquis, formerly of the Cubs and now of the Rockies. Last night, Marquis improved to 9-4 with a 3.71 ERA as he went 8.2 innings and gave up 8 hits and 3 runs in beating the Bucs. Marquis got 20 groundball outs in the game, and his groundout-to-flyball out ratio is a nice 2.18. He's tied for the NL lead in wins. He's fifth in innings pitched and 20th in ERA. Marquis' WHIP is 1.34. Yes, he is a first-half pitcher, so we'll see how it plays out.
Lineups
DeRo-less Tribe
Carroll, 2B
Peralta, 3B
Martinez, C
Choo, RF
Garko, 1B
Francisco, CF
Gimenez, LF
Valbuena, SS
Ohka, P
DeRo-less Cubs
Soriano, LF
Theriot, SS
Bradley, RF
Lee, 1B
Fontenot, 3B
Fukudome, CF
Hill, C
Blanco, 2B
Lilly, P
Enjoy.
i assume it's cause they don't face many lefties...that would satisfy us cub fans and he wouldn't have play him as much...for fear of his defense.
I find it interesting that Lou took Soriano out in this last double switch rather than Bradley, who made the last out. Does that have to do with Soriano's knee?
Von said he talked with soriano about his knee and soriano said he has no knee problems....
Won't know until we ask. It's a good possibility.
...better in left than right.
That's true Colin but Lou could have moved Fukudome to right and put Johnson in center. Of course, Lou just double switched Johnson out for Fox so this is all moot now.
Any chance the Cubs take a look at local boy on the mend, Mark Mulder? If he is willing to take a lesser role as a swingman or spot starter until he proves he can get people out, I think he would be worth more of a look than Pedro.
Maybe worth asking about, though. thanks.
That's a move we'll ask Lou about. Marmol came into the game having issued 32 walks in 32 innings. I said up here that he may hit a batter, and he darn near did. Blown save for Marmol and no victory for Lilly.
Guess that's what he gets for an 0 for 4. C'mon Lou.....Fontenot caught looking twice.
Sounds like I'll like Von. Yeah, I know.. like THAT's important. I like a balance between aggressive and patience, just not a big fan of the first pitch swinging unless it's exactly where the hitter can hammer it.
Marquis did alright with the Cubs, but to me it's the less acute Juan Pierre syndrome.. good before Cubs, sucky-to-mediocre with the Cubs, then good again after the Cubs.
Lou said before yesterday's game he was going to give Fox a shot at third against lefties.
Marquis was the same with the Cardinals as he was with the Cubs. Ask any Cardinals fan and they respond to him the same way Cubs fans do.