07-28-2009, 08:18 PM
After what happened the last time we got into a fight with the Asstrols when Oswalt was pitching, I'd say let's wait until tomorrow for a fight [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif[/img]
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Soriano's flair
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07-30-2009, 11:45 AM
<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->“If you’re hot and hit a leadoff homer, it’s only one run,” Soriano said on the difference between batting leadoff and his new slot. “But being hot like now … first at-bat, first pitch, I hit a three-run homer.
“I’m very comfortable,” he added. “I don’t have pressure to get on base.”<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd--> Where has this attitude been? 
07-30-2009, 11:55 AM
<!--quoteo(post=53627:date=Jul 30 2009, 10:45 AM:name=wcplummer)-->QUOTE (wcplummer @ Jul 30 2009, 10:45 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE <!--quotec-->“If you’re hot and hit a leadoff homer, it’s only one run,” Soriano said on the difference between batting leadoff and his new slot. “But being hot like now … first at-bat, first pitch, I hit a three-run homer.
“I’m very comfortable,” he added. “I don’t have pressure to get on base.”<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd--> Where has this attitude been? <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> I think he's been very easygoing on where he hits since the very beginning. Now, managers on the other hand, have tip-toed around it, just like they did when he was moved to the OF a few years back. I've never had a problem with Soriano's attitude, but I think the media has blown it out of proportion just because up until now he's said he feels most comfortable leading off. At least he never cried about the idea of being moved down in the order.
07-31-2009, 11:04 AM
Good Article on Soriano
<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec--><!--sizeo:3--><!--/sizeo-->Streaky Soriano still the key to Cubs' fortunes<!--sizec--><!--/sizec--> Cubs' fortunes still depend on up-and-down LF July 31, 2009 BY CHRIS DE LUCA cdeluca@suntimes.com It was hard to decide which was stranger, watching Alfonso Soriano stare at a slider for a called strike without so much as flinching, or hearing Cubs fans booing him for doing so Thursday. By now, 337 games into his career on the North Side, Cubs fans should know what they have in Soriano. And whether you think the majors' streakiest player deserves a $136 million contract, you have to appreciate what he brings to the Cubs, who are finally hitting the ball like we all thought they would beginning on April 6. Yes, it's startling to see Soriano not swing at a slider even remotely close to the strike zone -- for the second time in the same at-bat -- but this didn't call for boos. Either those fans are crazy or they have remarkably short memories. The Cubs won a division title in 2007 because of Soriano. They won another one in '08 because of Soriano. And they hover around first today because of Soriano. By the way, he finished that at-bat in the second by lining a double into the left-field corner that set the stage for a four-run rally as the Cubs ran away with a 12-3 victory over the Houston Astros to complete a 6-1 homestand. He didn't hear a boo the rest of the game. It was the first time the Cubs won a series against a team that could boast a winning record entering play Thursday since sweeping these same Astros all the way back on May 6-7. That date stands out because some of Soriano's critics -- and he has more than he deserves in this town -- would have you believe he had been in a seasonlong slump until his recent hot streak. Not true. Soriano opened the season as the Cubs' main offensive force. When the Cubs dusted off the Astros for that two-game sweep, Soriano was hitting .276 and leading the team with nine home runs and 17 RBI. His troubles didn't begin until May 20. And the worst slump of his career lasted until the All-Star break. During that span, the Cubs went from a 21-16 powerhouse to a 43-43 disappointment. And since the break, they've gone back to looking like a powerhouse. Yes, it helps that Aramis Ramirez is back in the lineup, flexing his muscle. It helps that Milton Bradley is showing signs of life. And it really helps that Kosuke Fukudome, who reached base all five times Thursday, is thriving as Soriano's replacement in the leadoff spot. But the Cubs rise and fall depending on Soriano. It's the reason he gets paid $136million. You might not like his production for Year 8 of that megadeal, but why worry about that now? Since the All-Star break, Soriano has accepted life in the sixth spot and is hitting .400 (20-for-50) with five homers, 15 RBI and nine runs. It's no coincidence the Cubs are 11-3 since the break. ''We felt it was just a matter of time,'' manager Lou Piniella said of Soriano. ''We also felt that the change of scenery from the one-hole to the six-hole could help him -- and it really has. He has solidified the middle part of our lineup. With Ramirez, [Derrek] Lee and Bradley, we've got a nice center.'' His teammates have noticed. ''Sori has been swinging the bat really well,'' second baseman Mike Fontenot said. ''We have Ramirez back swinging a hot stick. All around the board, we've been doing well.'' The Cubs did some of their best work over the last 2½ years with Soriano at leadoff, even if he's not your textbook No. 1 hitter. To see them thrive with someone else in the top spot is startling. Piniella had long resisted the urge to move Soriano from the leadoff spot, and for good reason. The Cubs led the National League in runs last season with Soriano steering the offense. After Soriano's mammoth slump that took his average from .280 to .223 just before the break, Piniella knew the time was right to put him in a more run-producing spot. Give Soriano credit for accepting the demotion and getting back on track instead of moping. ''That's not easy to get out of,'' general manager Jim Hendry said of Soriano's midseason slump. ''It doesn't matter how much money he makes or how good he should be, when you get in the kind of funk he was in, I don't care who you are, it's hard to get out of. ''You hate to use that [as an excuse], too, that one guy made that much of a difference, but in his case, it might have. Some teams get away with losing a guy or two better than we did. In our case, he has certainly made a huge difference.'' Cubs fans should appreciate that fact.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
07-31-2009, 11:43 AM
I don't hate Soriano for his slumps. I hate his hop, attittude, showboating, etc. That said hit .400 and drive in on average a run a game do whatever you want.
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